Difference
by Swimming Angel
Summary: I will TAKE OFF this story in a week. This is your LAST chance to read my story. It's your loss if you don't. I have gotten mixed reviews and will edit this story into hopefully an improved one. I want everyone's help though and tell me how to get better
1. Introduction

Introduction

_Disclaimer_

I do not own any part of Naruto. The original Naruto characters belong to Naruto and Naruto only. However, the use of my characters (Sierra and other made-up characters) comes from me.

_Disclaimer_

Original Summary:

My name is Sierra and am part of the Uchiha clan until...until Itachi arrived. Suddenly, he kills everyone including Sasuke. I now live to destroy the one man who destroyed my life-Itachi. However, will I ever be able to kill him? I'm not better than Sasuke and he's dead! I don't know what to do... Then I find out that Sasuke's alive! Funny how life works, and that we both have the same mind-set too. A simply word it is: revenge.

I'm extremely excited for this story. It's my first story for Naruto… AH! No flames please or meanness! I just like kind, loving, fans which includes you who is reading this right now! I love reviews, and I need reviews! Reviews are awesome whether they are cool are just plan mean. I luv constructive criticism too! A writer always needs that because I want to become an awesome writer! Anyways, I appreciate you fans out there!

I'm quite sorry if some people out there don't enjoy my story due to a change in the manga or anime. But in mymind, I always wondered what would happen if Sasuke wasn't the only one who lived. I just believe that the question is original enough. True that some people out there may think it lacks originality, however this is not a story that proves that Naruto sux. Of course, we all know that it doesn't. I just want to have fun on the site and give my share of Naruto in my own way. If there's a problem with that, please tell me. I want to appeal to whoever reads my story the best way I can. This is in no way accusing another person. I just think it's an issue to be addressed! I still luv my fans and thank the haters to show me some things that must be pointed out to help me become a better writer.

SwimmingAngel


	2. Chapter One: Change

Difference

Author: Swimming Angel

Chapter One: Change

**NOTE!**

**HUGE NOTE! AHHHH! I realize that the first chapter's getting to people. Oh dear, I never thought of it this way. But, a reviewer got to me and I want to stop the idea now! I'M NOT REPLACING SASUKE! NOT REPLACING SASUKE! READ THE PROLOGUE TOO! AHHHHHH! That's killing me... especially the summary!**

"Darling, which bow would you like to put in your hair?" an elderly lady asked. She was clothed in comfortable material, ideal for an elite jounin who has experienced missions of utter difficulty.

"Um… I'll get the pink one!" apparently the daughter of the lady replied.

"I should have known, seeing as how your favorite color is pink. Now remember, be good to your sensei and be nice to your classmates today. Understand?" the lady warned, trying to set a good example for her own child.

"What if they don't like me?" the child asked, scared about her first day of school.

"Don't worry, they will. You're the sweetest girl I know, and that's the truth," the mother replied and smiled warmly.

A sound of a sliding door was heard from behind the two females. In came a foot followed by a man about a year older than the lady. He was tall and wore a type of clothing similar to the mother, signifying his status of a jounin. His appearance contained long, black hair and dark eyes that if looked carefully, gave the appearance of a dark and lonesome past. However, a smile appeared on his face when entering the room. Who couldn't help but smile at a happy wife and daughter? It was an essential image of peace and tranquility.

The first words that came upon the man's lips were, "You have your mother's and my bloodline. Do not disappoint me."

"Hai," the girl responded with utmost reverence.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to the Academy. Please come with me. I'd like to see where everyone stands as far as talents go. Let us have shuriken and kunai practice today! Follow me!" the sensei ordered and walked outside the Academy where several vertical logs on the ground appeared. As instructed, the children began throwing the shuriken and kunai as best as possible. The goal was to place all the equipment on the logs. The first part of class consisted of practicing with the kunai. After a half an hour passed, the sensei asked the children to line up in a line, and she would evaluate their skill with the kunai. The most skilled children could only place three kunai out of the six on the log.

"Uchiha Sierra, please come forward," the sensei commanded.

"Hai," Sierra replied and gathered all kunai between her fingers. Gathering as much charka as possible, Sierra waited for the precise moment. In a swift, easy motion, she swung the kunai with almost precise accuracy. Five out of the six kunai hit the log in a straight line. Gasps and whispering were heard among the children.

"Uchiha Sasuke, come forward," the sensei demanded, giving no consent to Sierra.

Sasuke walked towards the appropriate spot to throw his kunai. In a second, all the kunai were placed in a straight line. More amazement swept across the children. Interestingly enough, both were from the Uchiha clan, although distantly related from the other.

A frown was placed on Sierra's face. She **hated** to lose, no matter who it was to. Sasuke started walking up to her. What was he doing now? Was he about to mock her on her attempt to place all kunai as he had?

"Good job, I'm glad someone can throw kunais well," Sasuke congratulated and smiled with a thumb up.

A look of astonishment and relief came upon Sierra's face and dark eyes, "Thank-you… Uh, you too!"

Later on, the same results appeared during shuriken practice as well. No matter the results, Sierra found herself a new friend. This was the start of a new day.

After the Academy hours were over, the children were sent home to their parents. At the home of Uchiha Sierra, dinner had begun.

"How was the Academy today, Sierra?" the mother--previously introduced--asked.

"It was fun. I was one of the top of the class during shuriken and kunai practice. I met a person too," Sierra said sweetly.

"Oh? And who might that be," the mother asked curiously.

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke," Sierra replied courteously.

Her father intervened in the conversation, "Uchiha Sasuke, eh? He is the brother of Uchiha Itachi and son of the guardian of this clan."

"Uchiha Itachi has a brother? We must not hear of him often. I believe Itachi is known to be the successor of the Sharingan. Amazing and such a young age is quite remarkable," the mother said.

"It is quite remarkable. It would not surprise me if his younger brother is talented as well. He may not pass Itachi but should become a great shinobi," the father commented.

"I must agree. Tell me Sierra, how was Sasuke's performance today?" the mother asked.

"He was the best at throwing the kunai and shuriken. I only could throw five out of the six kunais in a straight line towards a log. He could throw all six," Sierra said with a tone of embarrassment.

"Well, we might as well expect great things of him. However, Sierra, don't be discouraged from Sasuke. If you work hard, perhaps you can surpass Sasuke," the mother advised and winked.

However, the father bluntly said, "A genius is a genius. No matter how much hard work a ninja does, he will never surpass a genius."

"Hirota, do not say such things in front of Sierra! I guarantee you that our daughter can surpass the other Uchiha family if she tries," the mother replied, appalled by the sudden statement.

"You have only done thirteen A-ranked missions and have only been promoted to a jounin for only ten years. I have been a jounin for twenty years and have completed many A-ranked missions. Do not contradict my statements. I, too, have once thought they same as you have. However, since the day of my banishment, I have thought otherwise. The outside world is relentless. You have always been protected since you have stayed in this clan since you were young. I lived in the Hyuuga clan for many years, and I believed I was protected too until-" Hirota angrily fired at his wife.

"Sierra is listening to every word you say. I suggest not opening your mouth again," the wife angrily stated with a calm tone that many men would fear, "Sierra, go to your room and sleep. Your father does not feel good today."

Stunned, Sierra ran towards her bed. What has happened to her father? He was banished from the Hyuuga clan? But when- she never heard such a thing before.

A week had passed and many classes were fulfilled. Sierra had learned much from Sasuke and his own family. So much information was in the world that she had never known. There were different types of jutsus. She also learned ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Sasuke even helped her with attacks and defenses and even showed her his own techniques that he learned from his father. This technique included Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu. As months passed, both Sierra and Sasuke's skills improved. They learned from each other and had a will of steel. They both had aspiring dreams and always performed well in class. One day, they decided that they should practice alone in the forest. Learning to be in the wild for several hours practicing new techniques would surely improve their own techniques.

Hours had passed, and supplies were used up by Sierra. Shuriken and kunai were surrounding her on every place imaginable. Food was left to mere crumbs. There was no longer anything that she could do. Her bother was worn out from using so much chakra. It was time to leave the forest. Sierra began running with what little energy was left from training towards the village. The village was dark and quiet. Lights were already turned off yet night had only begun just minutes ago.

"That's weird. I recall lights being turned off much later than now," Sierra muttered to herself. Without hesitation, she took out three shuriken and placed them strategically between her fingers as she had done during training. After concentrating all of her hearing to determine if there was any noise around her, she discovered the area was desolate except for one place. Sierra began running as quickly as possible. What was the meaning of this? With a quick motion, she opened the door of Uchiha Sasuke's home. There on the floor was newly spun blood on the floor and on the fingers of a boy older than Sasuke but younger than her own parents.

Flashback

_"__I believe Itachi is known to be the successor of the Sharingan. Amazing and such a young age is quite remarkable," Sierra's mother replied._

Flashback

"Are you Itachi?" Sierra said. Her eyes began to water, and her voice trembled in such a manner that showed she was about to cry out of distress.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked and his eyes instantly turned dark red.

"What have you done to this clan?" Sierra yelled and threw the kunai at the murderer.

"I wanted to test my capabilities and the people's own capabilities of this pathetic clan," Itachi replied, not giving any remorse over his own words and silently moved away from the kunai without any motion seen from an untrained eye.

"Have you killed Sasuke?" Sierra yelled again, crying with grief, unable to stop her tears.

"You know my own brother, eh?" Itachi questioned with interest.

"You, -you killed him?" Sierra asked her eyes wide with disbelief, "Who would kill their own brother!"

"You ask too many questions," Itachi simply stated and started moving slowly towards his prey.

Without any thought, Sierra began running towards the other end. She quickly opened and closed the Uchiha doors and ran out of the clan. Itachi could have well caught up to the girl but felt there was no need. His own capabilities could well surpass the child's, and, thus, there was no need to test her capabilities.

From that moment on, Sierra's life was filled with grief and never found the taste of sweet happiness for many years. In a day, she had lost her own parents and friends from a disturbed mind that was the brother of her long-lost friend.

"Darling, which bow would you like to put in your hair?" an elderly lady asked. She was clothed in comfortable material, ideal for an elite jounin who has experienced missions of utter difficulty.

"Um… I'll get the pink one!" apparently the daughter of the lady replied.

"I should have known, seeing as how your favorite color is pink. Now remember, be good to your sensei and be nice to your classmates today. Understand?" the lady warned, trying to set a good example for her own child.

"What if they don't like me?" the child asked, scared about her first day of school.

"Don't worry, they will. You're the sweetest girl I know, and that's the truth," the mother replied and smiled warmly.

A sound of a sliding door was heard from behind the two females. In came a foot followed by a man about a year older than the lady. He was tall and wore a type of clothing similar to the mother, signifying his status of a jounin. His appearance contained long, black hair and dark eyes that if looked carefully, gave the appearance of a dark and lonesome past. However, a smile appeared on his face when entering the room. Who couldn't help but smile at a happy wife and daughter? It was an essential image of peace and tranquility.

The first words that came upon the man's lips were, "You have your mother's and my bloodline. Do not disappoint me."

"Hai," the girl responded with utmost reverence.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to the Academy. Please come with me. I'd like to see where everyone stands as far as talents go. Let us have shuriken and kunai practice today! Follow me!" the sensei ordered and walked outside the Academy where several vertical logs on the ground appeared. As instructed, the children began throwing the shuriken and kunai as best as possible. The goal was to place all the equipment on the logs. The first part of class consisted of practicing with the kunai. After a half an hour passed, the sensei asked the children to line up in a line, and she would evaluate their skill with the kunai. The most skilled children could only place three kunai out of the six on the log.

"Uchiha Sierra, please come forward," the sensei commanded.

"Hai," Sierra replied and gathered all kunai between her fingers. Gathering as much charka as possible, Sierra waited for the precise moment. In a swift, easy motion, she swung the kunai with almost precise accuracy. Five out of the six kunai hit the log in a straight line. Gasps and whispering were heard among the children.

"Uchiha Sasuke, come forward," the sensei demanded, giving no consent to Sierra.

Sasuke walked towards the appropriate spot to throw his kunai. In a second, all the kunai were placed in a straight line. More amazement swept across the children. Interestingly enough, both were from the Uchiha clan, although distantly related from the other.

A frown was placed on Sierra's face. She **hated** to lose, no matter who it was to. Sasuke started walking up to her. What was he doing now? Was he about to mock her on her attempt to place all kunai as he had?

"Good job, I'm glad someone can throw kunais well," Sasuke congratulated and smiled with a thumb up.

A look of astonishment and relief came upon Sierra's face and dark eyes, "Thank-you… Uh, you too!"

Later on, the same results appeared during shuriken practice as well. No matter the results, Sierra found herself a new friend. This was the start of a new day.

After the Academy hours were over, the children were sent home to their parents. At the home of Uchiha Sierra, dinner had begun.

"How was the Academy today, Sierra?" the mother--previously introduced--asked.

"It was fun. I was one of the top of the class during shuriken and kunai practice. I met a person too," Sierra said sweetly.

"Oh? And who might that be," the mother asked curiously.

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke," Sierra replied courteously.

Her father intervened in the conversation, "Uchiha Sasuke, eh? He is the brother of Uchiha Itachi and son of the guardian of this clan."

"Uchiha Itachi has a brother? We must not hear of him often. I believe Itachi is known to be the successor of the Sharingan. Amazing and such a young age is quite remarkable," the mother said.

"It is quite remarkable. It would not surprise me if his younger brother is talented as well. He may not pass Itachi but should become a great shinobi," the father commented.

"I must agree. Tell me Sierra, how was Sasuke's performance today?" the mother asked.

"He was the best at throwing the kunai and shuriken. I only could throw five out of the six kunais in a straight line towards a log. He could throw all six," Sierra said with a tone of embarrassment.

"Well, we might as well expect great things of him. However, Sierra, don't be discouraged from Sasuke. If you work hard, perhaps you can surpass Sasuke," the mother advised and winked.

However, the father bluntly said, "A genius is a genius. No matter how much hard work a ninja does, he will never surpass a genius."

"Hirota, do not say such things in front of Sierra! I guarantee you that our daughter can surpass the other Uchiha family if she tries," the mother replied, appalled by the sudden statement.

"You have only done thirteen A-ranked missions and have only been promoted to a jounin for only ten years. I have been a jounin for twenty years and have completed many A-ranked missions. Do not contradict my statements. I, too, have once thought they same as you have. However, since the day of my banishment, I have thought otherwise. The outside world is relentless. You have always been protected since you have stayed in this clan since you were young. I lived in the Hyuuga clan for many years, and I believed I was protected too until-" Hirota angrily fired at his wife.

"Sierra is listening to every word you say. I suggest not opening your mouth again," the wife angrily stated with a calm tone that many men would fear, "Sierra, go to your room and sleep. Your father does not feel good today."

Stunned, Sierra ran towards her bed. What has happened to her father? He was banished from the Hyuuga clan? But when- she never heard such a thing before.

A week had passed and many classes were fulfilled. Sierra had learned much from Sasuke and his own family. So much information was in the world that she had never known. There were different types of jutsus. She also learned ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Sasuke even helped her with attacks and defenses and even showed her his own techniques that he learned from his father. This technique included Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu. As months passed, both Sierra and Sasuke's skills improved. They learned from each other and had a will of steel. They both had aspiring dreams and always performed well in class. One day, they decided that they should practice alone in the forest. Learning to be in the wild for several hours practicing new techniques would surely improve their own techniques.

Hours had passed, and supplies were used up by Sierra. Shuriken and kunai were surrounding her on every place imaginable. Food was left to mere crumbs. There was no longer anything that she could do. Her bother was worn out from using so much chakra. It was time to leave the forest. Sierra began running with what little energy was left from training towards the village. The village was dark and quiet. Lights were already turned off yet night had only begun just minutes ago.

"That's weird. I recall lights being turned off much later than now," Sierra muttered to herself. Without hesitation, she took out three shuriken and placed them strategically between her fingers as she had done during training. After concentrating all of her hearing to determine if there was any noise around her, she discovered the area was desolate except for one place. Sierra began running as quickly as possible. What was the meaning of this? With a quick motion, she opened the door of Uchiha Sasuke's home. There on the floor was newly spun blood on the floor and on the fingers of a boy older than Sasuke but younger than her own parents.

Flashback

_"__I believe Itachi is known to be the successor of the Sharingan. Amazing and such a young age is quite remarkable," Sierra's mother replied._

Flashback

"Are you Itachi?" Sierra said. Her eyes began to water, and her voice trembled in such a manner that showed she was about to cry out of distress.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked and his eyes instantly turned dark red.

"What have you done to this clan?" Sierra yelled and threw the kunai at the murderer.

"I wanted to test my capabilities and the people's own capabilities of this pathetic clan," Itachi replied, not giving any remorse over his own words and silently moved away from the kunai without any motion seen from an untrained eye.

"Have you killed Sasuke?" Sierra yelled again, crying with grief, unable to stop her tears.

"You know my own brother, eh?" Itachi questioned with interest.

"You, -you killed him?" Sierra asked her eyes wide with disbelief, "Who would kill their own brother!"

"You ask too many questions," Itachi simply stated and started moving slowly towards his prey.

Without any thought, Sierra began running towards the other end. She quickly opened and closed the Uchiha doors and ran out of the clan. Itachi could have well caught up to the girl but felt there was no need. His own capabilities could well surpass the child's, and, thus, there was no need to test her capabilities.

From that moment on, Sierra's life was filled with grief and never found the taste of sweet happiness for many years. In a day, she had lost her own parents and friends from a disturbed mind that was the brother of her long-lost friend.


	3. Chapter Two: SebirA new journey

Difference

Author's Notes

OMG, sooo much support from reviewers! I love each and every one of you, know matter what you say. That's because you make me a better writer in one way or another! The story's on a favorite list! AHHHH! Soooooo cool! I have to give a shout out to blahblah who helped with my summary. Summaries are so dang hard!

**Sarah:** I'm sorry if you feel that I "mock" the storyline of the Naruto series. I merely wrote this due to my own enjoyment and hopefully for others enjoyment. I hope that this chapter is a bit more original in your opinion.

**Mandalen: **Thank-you very much for your positive outlook on my story. I feel quite indebted for your kind and thoughtful words.

**Bevy-chan**: I must agree that the beginning chapter sounds like a Mary-sue. I tried and played that down in this chapter. Please tell me if I did. If I didn't, need to work harder on the next chapter don't I?

**Brelle:** You put me on the favorite list? That's awesome, and thank-you so much! I appreciate your enjoyment in my story and hope I don't disappoint you either in the future!

Well, guess that's all I can say! I hope this chapter is okay! Review please!

Author's Notes

Chapter Two: Sebir-A start of a new journey

Sierra ran and ran as fast as possible. Her legs were beyond worn and if anymore strenuous activities were placed upon her feet; her legs would become strained. The sun had begun to rise and cast a color that would normally bring a smile upon the girl's face. However, tears still streaked upon a once pure face that had never touched the feelings of supreme grief and fear. What did it matter now if she wanted to become a great ninja that her former self had wanted so badly? No one would congratulate her or even say like Sasuke always spoke of, "As expected of my child." All she could do now was run until her tired legs failed her body. Then she would have to rest. Would she die in such a loathsome forest? Over time, her legs began being accustomed with pain and did not noticed a pile of rocks, which allowed her to tumble into a pile of flowers. Her strength began to fail her since she had no dinner or breakfast. Sierra began to close her eyes. First it was a blink. Then her eyes were half-open. Then……

_'Will this be how I shall die? What a short, worthless life…'_

There was a smell in the air. A faint, lovely smell of cooking that happened during times of peace. Sierra began opening her eyes and adjusted them to find her in a small guest room surrounded by small paintings and ample furniture. Sierra muttered questioning words that pertained to her own surroundings. Suddenly she remembered her drifting off in a forest. Was this heaven and her mother's own cooking? She ran, following the faint smell with her nose. There in front of her was a lady that she had never seen before. She was tall, blonde haired, and young. She did not wear any type of ninja clothing, thus she must have had very little skill in becoming a ninja. Beside her sat a man in a stool reading a scroll. He had dark brown hair, scars in peculiar places, and wore a head protector. Judging by his articles of clothing and facial expression, he was either a recent jounin or high-ranked chuunin. Either way, Sierra could tell by his head protector that she was still in the Country of the Fire. However, this was quite far away from the Hidden Village of Konoha.

"You don't need to hide from us. You've been there for quite a while now. Come to the table. You must eat," the man plainly said, apparently aware of the child spy.

As commanded, Sierra left the wall's safety and walked in a confident manner. This greatly contrasted her innermost feelings though. Inside, she could feel herself shaken with fear of this chuunin or jounin. Sierra began opening her mouth and breathed out air until she was interrupted by the man yet again.

"My men and I were doing a mission nearby the Village of the Leaf. I believe that is where you originated? _(Sierra nods)_ I see…" the man said, still reading the scroll.

"Honey, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. She must have been confused about where she is," the woman nearby the pots of simmering food, "Hello dear, you are currently in the village of Sebir. It's about a hundred miles from Konoha. You must be from the famous Uchiha clan, aren't you?"

Speechless by the distance, Sierra nodded in agreement. She was stunned that she was so far away from her own town. Of course, it wouldn't matter now. She was alone. Her family members were dead and so was Sasuke…

Not minding the silence given by Sierra, the lady began again with, "You are currently in the Kamiga household. I hope you feel welcomed here. Sebir may be a small village but very peaceful. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes. You can go back to your room or go outside with the children. My son is playing outside with the other children if you'd like to see him."

Sierra couldn't object to actually doing something other than sit in her room staring at the wall. Perhaps she could cheer up from her past of her clan –most likely not though. She began following the laughs and noises of jumping and running coming from outside and saw a door. She opened it and the surroundings appeared before her. The village was dainty and comfortable looking. Past the small houses lay a pile of forests. This made Sierra shudder at the thought of a forest due to her injuries. Thinking about injuries, Sierra looked downwards at her knees and saw bandages wrapped around her legs. What a sweet family, she had never seen a family with as much kindness as these people. After soaking up her environment which seemed like that she would stay here for a while, Sierra looked in front of her. Several girls and boys were in front of her in all shapes and sizes. There was one boy that caught her eye though. He looked similar to the lady and man she was introduced to inside the home. His hair was a dirty blonde color and his features looked like a person who worked hard no matter what the task and had a sort of attraction that any girl would either loathe or like. As they were playing, a boy threw a small ball towards a young girl. She was a bit clumsy and uncoordinated. The ball touched her fingers but went past her position. The ball landed beside Sierra's feet, and Sierra looked at it curiously. Suddenly, the boy that caught Sierra's eye came running towards.

"Hey, you must be the new girl. I'm Kamiga Toro. It's nice to meet you," Toro replied and gave an ear-to-ear smile.

"Hello, my name is Uchiha Sierra," Sierra replied and blushed, but secretly thinking how she had never experienced a guy that smiled so wide.

"Umm…. Can we have our ball back? You can play with us if you'd like," Toro explained and quickly received his ball again.

The children quickly began to realize this new girl was able to have accuracy almost unmatched by other children in the village. Perhaps if Sierra had experienced this privilege several years ago, she may have felt proud of herself. Now however, it seemed as if there was no need to show off to people. But, no matter how much she tried, Sierra had a talent that could never go away. (And these talents were inherited.)

"So she is from the Uchiha clan," a blonde-haired lady said to her husband, "I hear she and another boy were the only survivors under an attack by the famed Itachi. Interesting that only two children survived an attack that people with twice their skills could not. Don't you think it's odd that a girl like her could defeat such a person?"

"I find that it's not too strange. Once you do many missions, you find that there are many strange people in this world. Itachi, I've heard, has always been a person that does not express his emotions in the slightest degree and never seemed to care about anyone except his own brother. I do not know the reason for this, though. What I do know from the Hokage is that Itachi's own brother survived from the hands of Itachi. I don't understand why Itachi would kill his own clan—however, why leave a girl behind? If he had intentions of being a murderer, then why would he just leave two children behind? I don't understand his decision," the husband replied with a confused manner and sighed, "That's why I hate these murderers. They make things too complicated for the world to understand."

"Perhaps we will never know, but I feel sorry for the girl. She probably will never become truly happy, but maybe we can make her feel consent with the present. The problem is how we will be able to do this. I suppose she's probably like a second child now since you found her. Is that okay with you? It may be like an adopted daughter," the wife replied.

"It's one thing to keep a child for several days due to injury. Something like keeping her forever is not something that sits well with me," the man replied, crossing his arms.

His wife frowned and raised her voice, "Of all the unfortunate things she's just gone through, at least let her stay at our house for a little bit!"

"You just suggested a lifetime's worth of care! Your sentimental feelings are getting ahead of you, woman," the man crossly contradicted.

Anger boiled into the wife and began crossly replying to her husband, "What is wrong with you? She hasn't even asked anything of you and…"

Sierra had come face to face with Mr. Kamiga and spoke politely, "I'll leave."

"Now wait just a minute, Sierra. My husband didn't mean for you to leave!" Mrs. Kamiga replied.

"I should be going soon though," Sierra explained, "I don't want to be a bother to your household. I'm greatly indebted to your family though."

A large sigh came from Mr. Kamiga's mouth. His facial expressions softened, and he crossed his arms while he spoke—leaning back in his chair at the same time, "This is such a nuisance. These villagers will wonder what we've been doing with you as well if you don't appear for several days. We'd be the laughing stock of the town and become forever hated."

With a smile, the Kamiga family added a new member to their own family, Uchiha Sierra.

"What's the matter?" Toro asked when coming into Sierra's room.

Her face was tear-stained, and she looked at him grievously. Her voice was unclear, and she kept on sniffling. She took a shuriken and threw it to the side of Toro. With ease, Toro caught the dagger between his hands. She looked at him wide-eyed.

"How did you do that?" Sierra asked in shock.

"Well, when a shuriken is thrown at you, I'd rather it not hit me," Toro replied and smiled, "You should chill and go to bed."

After Toro left, Sierra stared at the starry night. Somehow, it was a bit hard to sleep this night.

"He's good," Sierra commented in a whisper, and flashbacks entered her mind.

The last flashback was a pair of dark-red eyes—Mangekyuu Sharingan. (A/N: Sorry, didn't spell it correctly did I?)

Her hands clenched in a fist and shook with rage.

"I promise that I'll kill you, for the sake of the clan, my family, Sasuke, everyone," Sierra yelled out loud in anger.


	4. Chapter Three

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Time had passed since Sierra's adoption and loss of family members and friends. During her years of growing up, she met new friends that could never replace her old ones but did make her much happier. Her "brother" Toro was still as kind as before. He wasn't as smiley but was kind to Sierra as when they first met each other. During the past time period, she went to a school similar to Konoha's Academy. The curriculum was almost the same, so she didn't feel so alienated with the system. After every technique that was required was mastered, the students were tested like an end-of-the-year exam. Quite a few people passed and most of her own friends passed as well. A few days later, teams of three were called out.

"Team A- Seiryuu Botan……… Temo Napo."

"Team B- Uchiha Sierra, Kamiga Toro, Nodin Derno."

Toro and Sierra looked at each other and smiled. Within a few seconds, Sierra looked sideways and tried to spot Derno. Who was this person anyways? She had never heard of him before. He probably was an average student since she had never heard of him before. Usually, she would hear of someone who was either stupid or a genius.

"So tell me your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goals. I'll start off with myself. My name is Oregna Orikawa. I have some likes and dislikes in this world. My hobbies are, of course, being a ninja. For my goals, that is my secret," the sensei explained.

Sierra began first with her introduction, "My name is Uchiha Sierra. My likes and dislikes are to be disclosed and personal. My hobbies revolve around being a ninja. Also, my goal is to become stronger than a person I hate."

_'Not surprising for a survivor,'_ the sensei thought in his mind, "Okay, next, you with the blonde hair."

"My name is Kamiga Toro. I like to mmmm…….. let's see I enjoy toying with other people's minds. I love to eat and have very few things I hate. Some hobbies that enjoy are to play with objects like toys. My personal goal is to become a great ninja," Toro introduced interestingly as if he had practiced this speech for a long time.

Before a command was given, the hyper-active boy next to Toro began to speak eagerly, "My name is Nodin Derno. I enjoy doing taijutsu a lot. I hate to do ninjutsu, but I will if I have to. My hobby is to read action manga. Also, my goal is for people to realize that I am not a regular ninja."

_'What a surprising group… they are much more prepared mentally than I could have ever imagine. I have both the number one and two ranked ninja in the Academy (of Sebir). This should be an interesting group indeed,'_ the jounin thought in his head, impressed with the luck he received. However, have they become too spoiled for the work that were made to do next? However, the problem lied in the third boy, Nodin Derno. He seemed to have a prominent goal, but he was only average. How would he compare to his team? He may be a problem, but that may give the advantage to the team in a way…

"I suppose you haven't heard of the mission tomorrow. I'll let you in on a little secret though. Yes, you may have passed the Genin exam. Nevertheless, only three teams will become actual Genins. Thus, tomorrow's test will be much harder than the exam. So be prepared for the inevitable, otherwise you will die. It is out of the question if you complain tomorrow- unless you want to face adversities beyond your own imagination," Orikawa replied with a gleeful smile placed on his young, handsome face, "Oh, by the way, I'd pack food, clothes, and whatever items you may need for survival. You may be gone from home for a week. It depends on your skills. You wouldn't want to go if you didn't pack anything. You would definitely die," the jounin forewarned with a despicable grin placed on his handsome, young face.

"Is that supposed to intimidate us? 'Cuz if it is, it's a poor excuse. We'll make it. There's not doubt in it. We have too much to gain," Derno retorted with a similar grin as Orikawa.

_'What an interesting child…'_ Orikawa thought simply.

_'Baka, now he'll make us look like fools if we do miserably,'_ Sierra thought miserably with a look of discontent, staring right into the eyes of Derno.

_'What is he thinking? Who paired us up with him?' _Toro thought, yet concealed his emotions flawlessly- still with a smile on his face.

"Well, the meeting is over. Go back home and get ready for tomorrow's mission," Orikawa replied and sighed heavily afterwards.

"So who is your sensei?" Toro's mother asked curiously.

"Oregna Orikawa," Sierra said simply without giving great detail, apparently thinking of her mission tomorrow and what techniques she should use.

An eerie silence filled the room. Surprised, Sierra and Toro look upwards simultaneously. To their surprise, both spouses looked at each other in fear. Such a stare would have given chills to any child. The stare signified a fear forming from past occurrences.

After mustering enough air to speak a word, the father replied, "Oregna Orikawa is it? I hope you have prepared enough in the Academy. I would not be surprised if you receive the most difficult test compared to the other graduates. Keep in mind; I will not be ashamed if you fail."

"Soboe, you will scare the children. However, I must agree that I feel the children may face great difficulty," the wife agreed.

"What's so special with sensei Orikawa?" Toro questioned with interest. So little was known of Orikawa, and any information that may help with the mission the next day would be greatly helpful.

"He is a talented Jounin- maybe even the strongest in the entire Country of the Fire. His reputation exceeds many. At the young age of six, he was promoted as chuunin. Several years later, he became a jounin. These accomplishments have only been heard of by Kakashi and Ita…" Soboe (the father of Toro) began.

"Now, Soboe, you are troubling the children. They must relax and rest tonight to have a chance to complete their mission tomorrow," Soboe's wife added hurriedly.

However, Sierra knew what Soboe would end with. She could not have any doubts that it was _him_. Disgusting and loathsome in her already shattered soul, his name would forever lie in the darkest corners of her troubled heart. Although trying, Sierra could not forget the foul name. The name that had troubled her since she was so young was Itachi.

**At night**

**Derno's Thoughts **

_I refuse to lose to a man like Orikawa tomorrow. I will defeat the mission with my own power. I can become a ninja that will live on in history. My name will be remembered forever._

**Toro's Thoughts**

_So, sensei Orikawa is this strong, is he? Never thought we would get such a strong Jounin. I suppose it can't be helped. With Sierra and I being top two, a strong jounin must be placed in the group. As for Derno, I've never heard of him before. Hopefully, his skills are intact though. I just hope that he will not place our team in shame…_

**Sierra's Thoughts**

_If I can't pass a mission, then I have no right to defeat Itachi. I will not lose in a mission of such importance to my existence. I have Toro, my friend, to back me up as well. I just hope he uses the techniques that we have been practicing for so long. Derno is a mystery. If he was placed in our group, either he received the lowest score to balance the top two graduates, or he is the strongest to showoff the power of the Village. What a gamble…_


	5. Chapter Four

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

At the crack of dawn, three children appeared in a forest filled with creatures of all arrangements. Lack of sleep was portrayed on each child's face. For several minutes, the children waited. The sunrays began beating on their worn faces.

"Where is this Orikawa? He should practically have been here by now," Derno whined.

"He'll come soon enough," Sierra replied, irritated also by the untimely sensei.

After an hour of waiting, a distant shape appeared in the nine eyes. In front of them was a dark brown haired man in about his twenties clothed in regular jounin clothes. A forehead protector was placed on his forehead and tied to the back of his head to keep the unruly (but cool) hair. He was average in height. His face also contained youth that made him look quite handsome.

"You're late!" Derno yelled out of frustration.

"Ahhh…. Yes, sorry about that. Well, look at the bright side, I'm not as late as other jounins," Orikawa apologized and began his directions, "The mission will be based on how well each of you can handle genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu. You can all try these types of attacks together or alone. Either way, it does not matter to me. I'll give you five minutes to decide, no exceptions.

"We'll do it alone," Toro blurted out without thinking.

"Is this with the groups consent?" Orikawa questioned.

"It is. We do not have to trouble with deciding if we already know what each of us will say," Sierra replied immediately after the question.

"Yeah, what they said," Derno consented without arguing. He was actually happy since he could only do one of the types of attacks well; the others only made him unhappy –but he could practice the other two types of attacks if he was made to.

"Fine then," Orikawa shrugged and added, "So who will showcase the attacks?"

"Sierra will do ninjutsu, Derno will fight using taijutsu, and I will use genjutsu," Toro replied confidently and smiled.

_'This is perfect. Nothing could be better than this lineup,'_ Sierra thought and smiled inwardly, _'However, Toro and I know very little of Derno. I hope he can do taijutsu.'_

"Fine then," Orikawa agreed, "Behind you is three roads. Sierra, you will travel on the road towards the right, Toro, the left, and Derno, the middle. It's a long way, so don't expect to see me for at least two hours. So, on your mark, ready GO!"

Both Sierra and Toro jumped off the ground and went their separate ways. Derno just stood looking at his feet.

"You can go," Orikawa replied.

"I'm debating," Derno replied incoherently.

"Just go when you're ready," Orikawa answered, confused with Derno's actions.

Derno looked at the road and then started moving his legs slowly. Then, Derno ran much quicker than imaginable. His legs became a blur, along with the surrounding trees and shrubs.

_'He's fast,'_ Orikawa commented. With those last thoughts, Orikawa began traveling to the appropriate destination.

Two hours had past and Toro looked around. How was he supposed to know if he had reached his destination yet? There was no guarantee if there was such thing as a destination either.

"Yo," Orikawa greeted from a rock in front of Toro.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Toro asked.

"Genjutsu," Orikawa replied plainly.

"And the point is…" Toro interrogated again without any signs of irritation on his face.

"To get past mine," Orikawa replied behind Toro.

Without indication, the image of his sensei disappeared from the rock. It was only an illusion. Toro immediately jumped into the air and threw kunais towards Orikawa.

Derno observed his surroundings, trying to spot any traps that his sensei may have prepared. Something looked different her, however. He couldn't place it, but the surroundings differed from a few meters behind. He sensed something wrong.

"Yo," Orikawa greeted to Derno.

Surprised by the immediate appearance, Derno assumed his fighting stance, "I will make my dream a reality."

"So you are using taijutsu. Your stance is poor," Orikawa observed, staring at the awkward leg and arm positions.

"I was taught this stance by a jounin must stronger than you," Derno said truthfully without consenting to his own rudeness.

"Stronger than me, eh? Well, come," Orikawa commanded and merely stood without assuming a stance.

Derno merely looked at his sensei and smiled, "You first. I'd rather you give me the first blows, sensei."

Orikawa gave a questioning look on his face and nodded. Within a second, Orikawa moved from his original spot and gave a deafening punch to Derno behind his head.

Sierra stopped immediately. She sensed something on her right and moved her head gracefully towards that direction. She could not see an object with her own regular eyes.

"You may come out from the forest, sensei," Sierra replied and eyed her sensei from his hiding spot.

_'She's good,'_ Orikawa thought and commenced saying out loud, "So you are assigned ninjutsu. You are quite unlucky. Shinobi across the land call me the Student. I only need to see a technique once to remember it and copy it. There are only few instances where I needed to see it twice to remember the technique."

"It does not matter if you see my techniques or not," Sierra replied confidently.

"You sound like my rival," Orikawa gleefully retorted, "You may have heard of him. He's a bit like me actually. His name is Kakashi. He is a Sharingan user and has memorized over one thousand techniques."

"And you?" Sierra questioned.

"The same," Orikawa answered without a meaningful tone, "So, enough about me. I know your past very well, so you do not have to hide anything from me."

"So, you know my past, but do you know my present?" Sierra asked, looking downwards so her face was darkened.

"Yes, a few things have been concurred at the Academy. However, past that is a blank. So, I suppose you are excited to fight a jounin. Come," Orikawa commanded.

"Sharingan!" Sierra shouted, and her eyes instantly turned a dark shade of red with black marks inside.

A faint smile reached the lips of Orikawa. Sierra ran towards Orikawa at top speed without hesitation. A punch was given towards Orikawa stomach which of course, was easily blocked. Another punch was given at the neck which allowed another block by Orikawa's arm. With both of Orikawa's stable arms, Sierra jumped upwards and landed one foot on Orikawa's right shoulder. This time, Orikawa did a similar move where he jumped upwards and kicked Sierra in the back. Luckily Sierra saw this move using the Sharingan and forced herself to jump to a safe spot. Nevertheless, Orikawa predicted the landing and sped towards the falling body. For defense, Sierra gathered chakra into both her right and left palm.

Surprised, Orikawa thought in his mind, _'She shouldn't do that. Her body could deteriorate from so much chakra build-up.'_

"Toro, I hope your thinking skills are more advanced than your throwing ability," Orikawa replied sadly, dodging the kunai.

A smile appeared on Toro's face as he started making seals. Within a few seconds, smoke appeared around the area. Toro had disappeared, and a forest appeared that differed from the original forest. This forest was plagued with disease. Trees had begun to wither away and the ground was bare.

_'This technique must have been taught by his father. It is not something a young boy can do, though,'_ Orikawa thought again, "Simple tricks like this do not work on me. You have to think out of the ordinary to defeat me."

With that being said Orikawa built-up chakra and easily drove the image away. Opening his eyes again, he found himself in his original environment. The trees returned to its lovely green, and the forest thrived. Orikawa looked around and widened his eyes. Five kunai from all directions came towards him.

A smile came from Toro's mouth. He finally would pass the exam.

"Toro, you may have to think ahead before enjoying your happiness of actually passing the exam," Orikawa replied.

The same smile still stayed upon Toro's lips.

"Arrogance can be a boy's downfall," Orikawa instructed and used the back of his hand to slap Toro across the shoulder. The image of Toro disappeared, and Orikawa looked around. This was merely an image of Toro and nothing else.

"I'm right here, sensei," Toro appeared behind Orikawa, holding a kunai at his sensei's throat.

"Using a replication technique in such a way is quite resourceful at a time like this. I must commend you on it. However—" Orikawa began, "It will take much more planning than that."

Toro looked behind him and saw his sensei. In a quick movement, Toro jabbed his kunai into the replacement and jumped upwards. He began making seals to form another scene.

"It won't work," Orikawa replied before the image swallowed his body.

_'I need to find Sierra,'_ Toro reminded himself, _'There's no way we can do this alone.'_


	6. Chapter Five

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"I was taught this move long ago," Sierra began, "I'd rather it not be wasted."

Sierra built up her chakra and hit the ground with tremendous force. The ground turned to various pieces of rocks and shattered as if there had been an earthquake. Responding to the attack, Orikawa jumped upwards.

"Since you are quite accomplished, I will use some techniques that are quite as powerful as well," Orikawa replied and began forming seals. In a few seconds his hands finished the seals and hit the ground. A slight movement was felt underneath Sierra's legs, but this was the least to worry. A tiger with Konoha's mark appeared. The coat was gleaming with superb care and excellence, and the muscles could be seen with high definition. "You may want to keep an eye on Tekateka Tora. She is the best tiger bred from the mighty Zennou, a beast and ruler."

"I am highly honored to meet you, Tora," Sierra said gracefully and bowed in the majestic tiger's presence. The tiger bowed her head in respect as well.

"You are a respectable human. I wish you luck in becoming a Genin," Tora replied elegantly as well, "However, in order to become a Genin, I must test you."

"I would not expect any other from you," Sierra agreed, "What is the task that I must perform?"

"You must build a defense strong in a minute. It must be strong enough so I cannot penetrate it," Tora instructed.

Sierra looked towards the tiger's claws. They were not normal claws. The embedded claws were surrounded by spikes that could kill a beast in less than a second. A defense that could be strong enough for such a tiger would be extremely difficult to conjure."

"Fine, I accept the challenge," Sierra consented, although troubled by what she should do.

_'I'll just have to try and use the Ultimate Defense that I have been taught. I just hope it's enough,'_ Sierra thought and began using intricate seals, _'Will there be enough time? I don't know if I can do this under a minute.'_

"Thirty seconds left," Tora relayed and took a running stance.

"Defense of the Crying Souls!" Sierra shouted at the last second.

With the last letter, Tora began running using her powerful muscles. Sierra began sweating with fear that she had not felt for a long time. Is this the end of her?

"Very well, Derno," Orikawa agreed, "I will be the offensive. Mind you, that in a real fight, you usually cannot order your opponent to attack you."

"I can make them by standing there until their patience becomes dissolved," Derno commented delightfully.

_'What a strange boy,'_ Orikawa thought and began running towards Derno. With a quick movement, Orikawa struck at Derno's leg. However, a hand stopped the attack. Looking upwards, Orikawa saw Derno had moved his hand quick enough before Orikawa could strike. Orikawa lead his leg towards Derno's stomach but was once again blocked by Derno's hands. Curious to see Derno's strength, Orikawa placed a small amount of chakra into his arm and swung his elbow into Derno's leg. Sure enough, Derno had once again blocked with his hand.

"You blocking skill is limited," Orikawa observed, "Is this all you can do?"

"I have only just begun," Derno replied, "Come test me if you like. This is my ultimate defense against _you_."

"Is it really? Then I must say that it is a poor job. May I ask who your teacher was?" Orikawa asked.

"My father," Derno answered with a tone in his voice with a waver of admiration.

"Your father is it? Yes, I must say that you are correct with him being stronger than me. However, I know his weaknesses. His defense lies mostly within his hands. The legs are quite powerless with this type of taijutsu."

"I did not say that my father and I have the same fighting style, sensei," Derno commented once again.

"Come Derno, it is your turn to be the offensive," Orikawa directed with a tone that most would fear, "You will find that I am not as formidable as you may think."

With this command, Derno began running towards Orikawa at top speed. His legs were almost a blur and made the ground particles levitate in the air to form dust. Derno's hands began striking Orikawa's body. It was all a blur. Within a few moments, the sounds of beating were stopped. Before Derno was not a human's body but a tree trunk.

"Where is he?" Derno said out loud, looking everywhere.

"Sierra, where are you?" Toro screamed out of frustration. He couldn't sense her chakra nearby; thus she must be farther ahead.

Above, in the sky lied thousands of birds that came from the right. An explosion had occurred there, but what had happened?

"I knew I'd find you some way," Toro replied with satisfaction.

He began running towards the scene of the action. After what seemed like a few minutes, a large crater was visible. Dust had clouded the area and made it hard to view the cause of such a large crater. However, in a few seconds, Toro had found his answer. Two bodies lain on the ground. One was visibly an animal's body, whereas the other was standing upright.

"Time to get her out of the area, I'm pretty sure she can't handle Orikawa either. We need to re-strategize so we can become Genins. Then we'll find Derno," Toro muttered under his breath, trying to not be visible to Orikawa who stood several feet away from the crater.

Within a quick movement, Derno jumped off the branch he was using to conceal himself and grabbed Sierra. Surprised and confused, Sierra did nothing to Derno. Such an unexpected occurrence would strike someone with unease.

"Wha-What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be waiting for Orikawa?" Sierra asked after mustering up air to speak.

"What we've been fighting is replications of Orikawa. I noticed that with my fight with him. Replications usually only have a small percentage (30) of the owner's actual strength. We have to work together to find a way to defeat him. Otherwise, we run the risk of losing if we go against him alone. My genjutsu was broken in mere seconds that would take many at least hours. Orikawa is no ordinary jounin, though," Toro explained to Sierra, trying to be clear as possible.

"He told me that he rivals the might of another jounin named Kakashi. Do you know him?" Sierra asked, trying to help with the losing situation.

"I've heard of him before. He's talented. He became a chuunin before eight I think. I'm not quite sure, but father has been in missions with him. It's strange, but father says that every time that Kakashi is the commander, the team always seems to worry about death and get on task. He's also very well-known in other countries as well. That's basically all I know though," Toro enlightened Sierra, however in a disappointed tone, showing his little knowledge of Kakashi.

Understanding his disappointment, Sierra switched to another subject, "If we are to work together, we have to find Derno. I wonder where he is. The forest is wide, and it may take days to find him."

"He's doing taijutsu. So it'll be much harder to find him than you. Taijutsu usually gives more clues on plants though, such as scratches on wood. So keep an eye out for those. Just try and pinpoint his chakra. As you said, it may take days so try to use common sense in finding him. Since the forest is so large, we'll have to split up. If you happen to meet Derno, contact me. I'm going to give you a needle. I have my chakra on it, so it should pinpoint me. Just follow it and catch up with me," Toro instructed to Sierra.

Sierra nodded and grabbed the needle. With the procedures finished, Sierra jumped from her position to a random area.

"Derno, you should be careful where you should look for enemies. They could be anywhere," Orikawa exclaimed when coming out of a tree, "This mistake would be very costly if it were a one-on-one battle."

"Perhaps it is your mistake to become visible," Derno yelled and charged towards Orikawa.

"Your attacks are very feeble. You need to think out of the ordinary," Orikawa informed with a serious tone.

With that being said, Derno jumped up from his spot and jumped behind Orikawa. He gave a kick to Orikawa's tanned face.

"Too slow," Orikawa mentioned and blocked the kick with his finger.

Derno gave another kick towards Orikawa but failed once again. This went on for several minutes and became a wasted effort. The jounin's defense was impenetrable.

"I'll defeat you!" Derno yelled out of frustration.

Orikawa sighed and gave Derno a sympathetic look, "Derno, you place too much confidence in yourself. Sometimes, things cannot be done _alone_."

_'Is this a clue? Why did he emphasize alone?' _Derno thought and began emphasizing his tools. There possessed several shuriken and kunais. However, the supply was dangerously low. He would have to find more weapons or risk a failure.

"I'm not a quitter, and I won't lose now," Derno said out loud.

"You say you will not lose to me, but your actions say otherwise," Orikawa stated simply and truthfully, "You are young. So, you have much confidence. What you are doing will only get you so far. You have to learn how to defeat an opponent using much more than your own skills."

With those words being said, Orikawa ran towards Derno. Before Derno could defend himself, Orikawa landed a punch towards Orikawa's stomach. This hit made Derno fly upwards and land on the ground in disgrace.

"I sense movement nearby," Sierra said out loud, "I need to hurry."

Looking around, Sierra saw dust particles rising above the trees. With this sign, Sierra ran towards the commotion.

"What was that?" Derno asked himself, "That was an extreme rush of chakra. I'd hate to be the receiver of such power."

With that being said, Derno began jumping tree to tree towards the energy.

"I don't expect you to stand up," Orikawa replied with his eyes full of resentment, "Perhaps now you can think about your actions. When you're ready, come at me."

There on the ground lied a body that contained bruises all over. Derno felt a pain that would make a man fall to a deep sleep for several days. However, he would not fall asleep in such an occasion.

"I won't take my words back. I still will defeat you," Derno replied weakly.

Orikawa smiled and disappeared into the forest.

In the opposite direction, Sierra appeared.

"Derno, are you okay? What happened?" Sierra asked as she ran to the beaten body.

"I was battling Orikawa and lost. But I'll come back, I promised him that," Derno answered in a whisper.

Looking at the bruises, Sierra sighed and opened her traveling pack. Inside the bag were neatly placed weapons, food, and medicines. After searching through the bag, she found an ointment.

"Here's an ointment that I made several weeks ago. It's made from native plants. It should help lessen the pain," Sierra explained and began rubbing the ointment on Derno's face and arms, "You should be more careful though next time. Orikawa is a jounin which gives a reason for him being so strong. Do you feel better to walk and find Toro? I met him earlier, and he told me that we have to re-strategize. Toro and I couldn't defeat Orikawa. So, we'll have to defeat him together."

"That's fine with me since I can't really do much," Derno acquiesced.

"I hope I reach Derno in time," Toro spoke and immediately held a smile on his face after his last word. There in front of him was a young girl and boy running towards him who were smiling as well.

"I found Derno," Sierra spoke with a smile on her face, "He was attacked by Orikawa, so I saved him."

"Oh really?" Toro asked with concern.

"Yeah and let's forget about your plan. I still think it's better to work alone," Sierra spoke again.

Toro drew a kunai from his bag and threw it at Sierra, "Is this a joke, Orikawa?"

Orikawa stepped to the left and slid, "How interesting, I thought you wouldn't be able to distinguish me from Sierra."

"Sierra has never defied me in any moment. She trusts me with her life, and I do the same. We will do anything for each other," Toro said with a smile.

"Is that right? And what of Derno?" Orikawa asked.

"Once we know each other more; our relationship will be almost as close," Toro replied.

"You would even die for them?" Orikawa asked again.

"If it means life for them, of course," Toro said confidently, although with a great sorrow in his eyes.

"Don't you treasure your life as well?" Orikawa asked with concern.

"I believe all life is significant. No life is more significant than the rest. However, if I must sacrifice my life, then I would do it to save my friends," Toro replied again with a smile and an arm behind his head.

"You are beyond your years," Orikawa muttered and gave a large smile as well, "YOU PASS!"

"What's the matter?" Derno asked, curious in why Sierra had stopped suddenly.

"It's not right here. Just listen, something is near us. We have to move quickly, I don't like this quiet sound," Sierra replied, worried by the strange sign.

Derno just stared at her confusedly and immediately jumped away before several weapons came dashing towards them.

"Thanks," Derno muttered under his breath.

The number of kunai increased by each minute and dodging them became increasingly difficult.

"How…long…has…it…been?" Derno asked, gasping between each word when fleeing from the sharp points.

"A minute," Sierra grimly replied.

However, after Sierra's last words, the kunais' air raids stopped. There was no sight of the attacker.

"I'm sorry that took so long," a boy's voice said among the trees, "Orikawa was relentless."

Sierra sighed and began walking towards Toro, "We've been trying to find you."

"Yeah, sorry about that, listen, let's forget about teaming up. I think it's better to just work alone," Toro replied with a smile upon his face.

"Really?" Derno asked.

Suddenly, Sierra threw a shuriken, aiming towards Toro's head protector. With a swift movement, Toro jumped towards the right and out of danger.

"What was that for?" Toro asked, now frowning from the attack.

"Orikawa-sensei, you can't fool me. Your replication was the exact opposite of Toro's personality," Sierra informed, now in a fighting stance.

A small pop was heard and standing before the two Academy graduates was Orikawa, "Your perception and knowledge of Toro allowed you to distinguish me from him. However, how did you know it was me?"

"The first thing that caught me was when you said that we should forget about your plan. Usually, Toro thinks very throroughly through his plans. It is very rare that he changes his plans. Second is that when I threw the shuriken, you jumped to the right. Toro always jumps away to the left by habit and preference. Also, your reaction caused a frown. Toro does not frown very often in _any_ situation," Sierra explained.

"Besides, we work as a team. I'm not going to quit working as a team just because one of my teammates are stupid," Derno replied, trying to make himself look more intelligent by saying something instead of being back in the sidelines--which is not his normal way of sociality.

"You work as a team?" Orikawa questioned with a slight smile yet with a look of sternness.

"Of course, minds together can accomplish more than one mind alone. Derno wanted to see how we would hold up against a jounin individually to see where we stand. He had already planned working together after we showcased our individual talents," Sierra informed Orikawa.

"So no matter what, you'll always prefer working as a team…" Orikawa repeated the message, "So tell me, if you were doing a mission, a friend was captured during that task. To win the mission, you would have to kill…Derno right now. What would you do?"

"Wh—What?" Derno asked in amazement.

"I do not kill," Sierra answered in a strange tone.

"Derno, what would you do if Sierra were endangered? However, Toro was captured suddenly. If you could choose, who would you save?" Orikawa asked with a slight amusement in his voice.

"Hmm… That's tough," Derno said, placing his hands on his chin, "I'd save… I'd save both of them!"

Orikawa smiled and yelled with great excitement, "YOU PASS!"

"What? All we did was fight you and answered your questions!" Derno said with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.

"Teamwork will always prevail. No matter what your situation, even if you are disgusting, you'd be an even worse person if you didn't treat your friends carefully," Orikawa enlightened, "Remember that, otherwise you will surely fail in life."

With those words, Orikawa snapped his fingers. The image of the forest began to shrivel away. What was left from the image was four bodies: Orikawa, Derno, Toro, and Sierra.

Two words were shouted excitedly from the new Genins, "I PASSED!"


	7. Chapter Six

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"We're Genins!" Derno screamed loudly after the induction was finished.

The setting was on a dusty road that led away from the Academy and towards the village. Toro had a finger in his ear to block the loud noise coming from loud-mouthed Derno.

"Gosh, you're noisy," Toro muttered after taking his finger out of his ear, "A village a hundred miles away from here could hear you."  
"Well, better loud than… than… well it's just better to be loud," Derno weakly argued, growling at Toro.

"Sure…" Toro reassured and began staring at Derno with squinted eyes.

"Boys are stupid," Sierra muttered under her breath, within earshot of Derno and Toro.

"How about girls are stupid?" Derno responded, smiling by this insult.

Sierra gave a death glare at Derno and smiled. She disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind Derno. With a quick motion, she grabbed his hand and moved it to a painful position behind his back. Speaking threw her teeth, Sierra argued, "Take it back."

"NO!" Derno yelled, partly due to pain and partly because he hated to lose.

"Yo," Orikawa appeared in a tree, "Bringing pain to your teammates isn't the best way to practice teamwork."

Sierra let go of Derno's arm and crossed her arms over her chest, growling loudly.

"We have a new mission coming up," Orikawa stated, apparently uninterested due to him paying more attention to the partly clouded sky than his subordinates.

"Ooh, are we going to have an exciting mission today- like escorting a princess, guarding a treasured item away from ninjas?" Derno asked excitedly.

"You'll see," Orikawa responded and sighed, "Nothing extremely difficult as what you suggested though, Derno."

A disappointed sound was heard.

"WHAT!" Derno's voice yelled obnoxiously, "Can't we do something better than _that_?"

_'He does have a point. It's just cleaning a person's house. Lazy villagers,'_ Toro thought while looking at the wall, seeing as there was nothing else to do.

"We've just been promoted to Genins, idiot," Sierra answered with both her hands pressed tightly against her ears, "Gosh, you're loud. Tone it down a bit, will you?"

Derno was twiddling his thumbs by this answer and began growling, muttering words that were too muffled to hear.

"Well, Derno, if you want a harder mission…" the official began, "I'll move you to a C-classed mission, but only if you behave."

"YEAH!" Derno yelled.

"You're still loud," Sierra scoffed, however, with a smile on his face- apparently as excited.

"So what are we doing?" Derno asked repeatedly, giving slight hops as well due to excitement.

"You'll be guarding my precious gift and me," a stifled voice was heard behind a door. The door opened to reveal a man in his mid-life years. He was holding a box wrapped around a cloth.

"This is Mr. Shunnin Muuyo," the official introduced, "He's one of the village's traders. Your mission is to guard him while traveling to the Hidden Village of the Leaf."

"But…but he's _old_!" Derno yelled with disgust, pointing to the trader.

"What a rude boy…" Mr. Muuyo muttered, "Well, let's go."

Orikawa sighed, who was standing in the back of the room leaning back on the wall with disinterest. He began walking with his subordinates.

"This is stupid," Derno commented once the walked outside the building.

"At least we're not doing a D-classed mission, Derno," Toro reassured, hoping to stifle down the noise.

"So, Orikawa-sensei, what types of enemies usually come during C-classed missions?" Sierra asked, trying to sum up the level of difficulty for the mission.

"The worst types of enemies we may face are low-classed shinobi. The likelihood of finding a shinobi is very slim to none," Orikawa answered, reading a book while answering.

The trip was tedious and hot. The sandy earth cracked beneath the sandals. Few shrubs ornamented the never-changing environment.

"It's hot!" Derno yelled again.

"You don't need to state it. We're all miserable, kid," Mr. Muuyo groaned, due to annoyance and heat--not a great combination.

Sierra looked at the ground around her. It had rained only a few days ago… She picked up a flower and smelled it.

"Sierra, move!" Toro commanded and shot his shuriken at the same spot as the flower.

Several bodies leaped before the shuriken hit the ground and moved into a fighting stance.

"Looks like we have unwanted guests," Sierra stated and grinned with delight.

Orikawa merely looked up from his book and lowered his head again.

"Show some more interest to your death!" a shinobi ordered and raced towards Orikawa. With a quick slice using a sword-like weapon, the shinobi sliced through Orikawa. Particles blew everywhere.

"Orikawa-sensei!" Derno yelled, shocked at the image.

"You're like your stupid sensei," another shinobi appeared behind Derno and flipped a shuriken towards his hands.

With a swift movement, Sierra ran and kicked the shinobi upwards, "Guard yourself, Derno."

"Ri—right," Derno stuttered, shocked from the immediate danger he placed upon himself.

"At least get—" Sierra began, but began preoccupied with another enemy.

A shinobi appeared before Derno. With a quick movement, a shuriken was placed into the enemy's hands.

"DERNO!" Sierra yelled and turned around, directing her attention towards him. With an easy opening, her own enemy sliced her shoulder. However, at the last moment, Sierra moved to the side so her arm wouldn't cut off.

A hand with a guard came in front of Derno. The hand linked to a man that was holding another shinobi- Orikawa to be exact.

With a smile, Sierra gave a solid kick to her enemy's stomach which sent him flying and dropping with a loud thud on the ground. However, with that movement, Sierra clutched her shoulder tightly, cringing from the pain and blood oozing out of the damaged shoulder.

Orikawa sighed and looked at Toro. Unlike his teammates, he was not wounded and standing between a pile of wounded bodies. Orikawa turned around and spotted Derno looking at his hands with disgust. Turning his head in another direction, he spotted Sierra and frowned.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," Orikawa began saying, "I was trying to test your individual levels when fighting an enemy. I'm very sorry I couldn't come sooner though Derno. I was hoping that you could move. Sierra and Toro, you did well. However, Sierra, it is important to pay attention to your enemy. Luckily he did not aim for vital organs."

Sierra blushed at this and fell in an Indian-styled position. She sighed and relieved herself of all her stress. Then, her hands began to glow a greenish-color. Momentarily, her hands pointed to the wounded part of her shoulder. In a few minutes, her wound instantaneously healed.

"How'd you do that?" Derno asked curiously, bending down and observing at Sierra's shoulder.

"Practice and a good…teacher," Sierra said with a tone of sadness.

"Well, we should be heading off again," Orikawa changed the subject and began walking to Konoha.

Like a pair of chicks, the Genins and Mr. Muuyo began walking again.

"Mr. Shunnin, I must ask you for the sake of our safety what is in the package," Orikawa interrogated, still walking on the path.

"That is my business and not yours. It is your job to protect me," Mr. Muuyo said rather hurriedly.

"However, to protect you, I must ask what it is that you are carrying," Orikawa insisted, still keeping his voice in the same tone as before.

Mr. Muuyo sighed and stopped in the middle of the trail between the forest, "If you insist, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to show this beauty in front of all _this_."

Grabbing hold of the wrapped up packaged that was in a bag that he was carrying, Mr. Muuyo unwrapped a metal case with a lock. After a few more seconds, Mr. Muuyo moved the dial to reveal the lock opened. Inside was lined with soft tissue in the midst of a large precious gem.

"This is the pride of my family," Mr. Muuyo said, taking out the gem and placing it in his hand.

Toro gave the most interest, allowing his face to gleam from the light reflected from the gem. He then gave a whistle that signified that he approved of its beauty, "It must be worth much more than I could ever imagine."

"It is worth more than all of our village- as I said, the pride of my family," Mr. Muuyo stated with a smile.

"However, I believe those recent shinobi were hired for personal reasons. If my reasoning is correct, you don't publicize what you sell, am I correct?" Orikawa asked.

"No, I don't publicize what I sell due to unnecessary thieves. Those shinobi were hired by my brother," Mr. Muuyo clarified.

"I see. However, some things are not yet clear. Is there some feud between the family due to this gem?" Orikawa asked.

Mr. Muuyo sighed and took his glasses and wiped an invisible smudge from his glasses. With that being done, he presumed his ordinary stance and stated, "My brother and I have always disagreed upon the heir of this precious stone. You see, we are twins. I was born a minute before my brother and allowed me to become the heir. He argues though that since we are twins, it is unfair that I should have the stone. This is merely out of greed and scorn since I am older by a mere few minutes. He sees me as an inferior individual to his hunger for power. To complete his greed, he feels that I should give the gem to him. If I do, his mind will become dysfunctional and completely delusional over money. That is why I am going to solve our problems over the family heirloom and sell it to a friend to the family for years in Konoha. He will treasure the jewel and become a treasure to not only him but all of Konoha."

A few moments were in silence until Orikawa spoke up, "Well, in that case, your brother must have hired more shinobi along this path. This will become increasingly difficult. However, to insure your safety, we must not use the trail but go into the forest. From there, we will seek out Konoha using map skills."

"What a nuisance," Sierra muttered and began walking toward the trees. Within a second, a shuriken slid by her face and hit a nearby tree. Her eyes widened and looked behind her. There behind her was a man with five shuriken between his hand facing Orikawa. He seemed to carry very few weapons with him except the several kunai and shuriken wrapped around his legs and arms. He was no taller than Orikawa and stood with erect class.

_'I didn't even sense he was near me,'_ Sierra thought, shaking from the near death experience.

"I presume you are Shunnin Muuyo. I have been instructed to take the prized gem of the Muuyo family. I have no intention of hurting anyone. If you give me the gem peacefully, I will leave peacefully… However, if you use force, I will unfortunately use force as well," the shinobi replied with no emotion, except with the intense hunger of death surrounding him.

"I will not give my brother this gem if it costs me my life!" Shunnin Muuyo replied.

"Very well," the shinobi shrugged and replied, "Then I must take your possession by force. I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is simply Tamara. I am a missing-nin born in the Country of the Wave."

"Tamara of the Country of the Wave, an assassin that uses extreme taijutsu and weapons," Orikawa stated, shadowing his face with his unkempt hair.

"I have heard of you as well. Orikawa the Prodigy, you are shinobi who became a jounin at a very young age –only matched by Kakashi, the Sharingan user. This will be a treat to go against one of the three talented jounins. It is a pleasure to meet you; please do not disappoint me," Tamara spoke, giving a smile to Orikawa who placed a frown on his face.

Within a blink of an eye, Tamara disappeared from his spot and moved behind Orikawa. Assuming his position, Orikawa lunged himself forward and gave a kick backwards. Responding to the awkward movement, Tamara jumped upwards and kicked at his opponent, using the gravity to his advantage. Quickly thinking, Orikawa grabbed Tamara's ankle and threw him towards the forest, careful not to provide any harm to his subordinates.

"Sierra, Derno, Toro, quick, protect Mr. Muuyo by using the defensive stance!" Orikawa ushered and sped towards the pile of trees where Tamara was thrown. Loud cracks of punches and kicks could be heard. This went on for quite some time.

"Sierra, can you tell what's happening?" Toro asked, breaking the silence.

"All I can see is quick movement and nothing else. What about you?" Sierra asked.

"About the same thing," Toro replied regretfully.

"You can actually see something in there?" Derno asked, confused.

"Your eyes are powerful tools. If you look carefully, you can see rustling of leaves and hitting of bark. Bodies can be distinguished in the dark as well due to clothing and movement," Sierra explained and slapped her forehead.

However, after the discussion, a body stepped out of the mass of trees and shrubbery. Using their reflexes, the team went into a defensive stance.

"Yo," Orikawa greeted, "Good job team. I took care of Tamara. Let's get back onto the trail."

With those words being said, the team followed Orikawa.

"You defeated Tamara single handedly? That's incredible. I would think my brother would hire a very accomplished jounin to take the jewel," Mr. Muuyo congratulated.

"Thank-you, Mr. Muuyo. I believe I should carry the case since we still will probably experience more shinobi," Orikawa instructed.

"Very well, I think it best if you would carry it anyways," Mr. Muuyo agreed and started walking towards the jounin.

Within a second, Toro threw a kunai at Orikawa. With a certain ease, Orikawa moved to the _left_—dodging the kunai.

"What are you doing?" Orikawa asked, frowning at the sudden weapon.

"Where is our sensei, Tamara?" Toro demanded.

With a grin on his face, Orikawa's bodied was swallowed by smoke. The smoke quickly disappeared to form Tamara's body, "How did you know child? You're quite a shinobi," Tamara spoke.

"It was simple. When you said that we used the trail, it immediately caught my attention. Then you replied that you should hold the package in case of shinobi. It would have been much safer if we traveled through the forest like before. Also, Orikawa never offered to hold the packaged even after being ambushed. Thus, the only reason why we traveled using the trail and you offering to carry the packaged is because we would meet another army of shinobi," Toro explained.

"What an intelligent child," Tamara commented and took one shuriken from his pants. "Now, I'll show you how I defeated your incompetent teacher."


	8. Chapter Seven

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"Now I'll show you how I beat your incompetent teacher," Tamara said, taking out a shuriken from his pants.

"Let me handle this, Toro," Sierra said, cracking her knuckles while walking closer to Tamara.

"Careful Sierra," Toro muttered in her direction.

"How cute," Tamara replied, "You'll just die anyways."

"Just try me," Sierra replied and went into her defensive stance.

"Are you crazy? He's a jounin; you won't last against a person like that!" Mr. Muuyo cautioned, sweating out of fear.

Sierra turned around towards Mr. Muuyo and replied, "Shut up, we're supposed to protect you and run off into the wild if you like."

Tamara laughed and began concentrating chakra around his hand till it turned a bright red. He placed his hand onto the shuriken, which enflamed the weapon.

"This is my perfect attack. You won't last against it," Tamara reassured and threw the shuriken towards Sierra.

Confused at the simple throw, Sierra jumped upwards and dodged the attack.

"Sierra, behind you!" Toro yelled, pointing at the shuriken returning to her.

Again, Sierra dodged the shuriken with ease and grabbed it as it sped past her.

"Is this your idea of perfection? Surely Orikawa didn't—" Sierra began but quickly felt a pain shoot through her arm.

"I wouldn't hold onto my shuriken if I were you. You see, that shuriken responds to my opponent's chakra. It will not stop attacking my opponent until you or I die or my opponent grabs onto the shuriken. The shuriken then injects chakra into my opponent—chakra that can immediately cut the user's ability in half. Unfortunately, I didn't tell your sensei this. Thus, he just kept grabbing the shuriken until he was weakened. I left him there, because slaying is such a dirty job. He'll die pretty soon, no longer than half an hour from now," Tamara informed with a bored look on his face, "Well, I can't let you have all the fun, now can I?"

Tamara looked over to Derno and Toro and grabbed two shuriken from his pants. This time, both his hands had concentrated chakra surrounding them. As before, the shuriken reacted and spun towards Derno and Toro.

"Now I haven't forgotten about you either," Tamara reassured and looked at his shuriken still spinning between Sierra's fingers. As if on command, the shuriken spun out of Sierra's hands and came back to her.

The scene was not looking so great for team B. Blood was splattered on the ground due to some hits from the shuriken. Mr. Muuyo was dumbstruck and stood there looking at the fallen shinobi. However, all the Genins used all their might to flee away from the shuriken. As for Tamara, he was sitting on the ground reading a book as if there was nothing around him.

"STOP!" Mr. Muuyo yelled, "All right, leave the children alone. I'll give you the jewel."

"Finally, something here that's meaningful," Tamara concluded and walked towards Mr. Muuyo.

Shaking, Mr. Muuyo began opening the lock of the case once again. To his dismay, he was holding the gem on his hand.

"Well, since I'm a man of my word, I'll let them go. As long as you place the jewel in my hand," Tamara responded, and stopped the shuriken from attacking.

"What are you doing?" Derno yelled out loud, "You told us that if your brother got a hold of that jewel, he'd become a freak!"

"Well, I would never live with myself if I let you children die before me," Mr. Muuyo answered, trembling by his situation.

Toro looked at Derno, and then at Mr. Muuyo, hoping to find an answer to stop this madness. Unfortunately, there wasn't an answer to solve this problem as he had hoped.

Meanwhile, Sierra stood with her head shadowed by her tangled hair from trying to dodge the shuriken. There was no sign of whether she could speak or not. It appeared that her mind was in a far off place.

_'All my life, I tried to become a shinobi where I didn't need to face this situation. I wanted to be a shinobi where I could defeat the toughest of opponents. And here I am, standing here, unable to do anything. Ever since I left the Uchiha clan on the fateful day and awoke in the Kamiga family's home, I promised that I would become a greater shinobi. I would be able to face Itachi. Now I see that I'm a worthless person. I don't know why I live. Why did he even spare me? My friends have died, and my family has left me here to despair. I just wish, I just wish that I could be better. Why am I always weak? I MUST BECOME A PERSON THAT EVERYONE MUST FEAR!' _Sierra thought, and a tear fell from her eyes.

Quickly looking up, she saw that Mr. Muuyo was an inch from placing the jewel into Tamara's hand. Filled with rage, she threw herself towards the gem. She felt an increased power about her. Quickly realizing what was happening, Tamara moved backwards. However, Sierra saw this and sped towards Tamara. She landed a heavy punch to his jaw.

"You're—You're an Uchiha!" Tamara gazed as Sierra held a grip on him.

"Leave me and my friends alone," Sierra spoke, clutching Tamara's neck even tighter, "Don't you ever come back and haunt Mr. Muuyo again."

"Right, right, I'm sorry," Tamara said rather hurriedly. Looking downwards towards his pants, he quickly grabbed a kunai and plunged it towards Sierra. Unfortunately, she saw this and crushed his neck before he could make any further movement.

"Don't try that again," Sierra whispered into his ear and threw him towards a tree.

"Sierra, your eyes," Derno spoke with a scared tone, "They're red."

Appalled, Sierra relaxed and discovered what he was talking about. During her rage, she had summoned enough power to use Sharingan, a bloodline technique that can only be use by an Uchiha.

Applause was heard behind them. Turning around, all three saw a distinctive figure which made them smile.

"ORIKAWA SENSEI! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Derno yelled, giving an ear to ear grin.

"Yeah, well I wanted to test how you could do against a shinobi," Orikawa replied and laughed.

"WHAT! THAT MEANS THAT YOU COULD HAVE COME AND SAVED US IF YOU WANTED?" Derno yelled and pointed accursedly.

"Well, now that you say it, yes," Orikawa merely stated and laughed again.

Derno groaned and Mr. Muuyo only sighed, "That was a close one."

"Well, Sierra, I suppose congratulations," Orikawa replied and stared at Sierra who was back to normal now.

She merely stared at the ground. "As for you, Toro, I'm completely satisfied on how you discovered Tamara was impersonating me. Derno, good job as well, although you played a little part, it allowed the team to become victorious. Without you, Sierra may have allowed Tamara to take the jewel. Toro most likely would have not done anything if you had not questioned what Mr. Muuyo was doing. For that, you were a huge asset to the team."

Derno smiled and yelled for a victorious day. However, afterwards, Orikawa frowned while walking towards Konoha.

After a few hours passed by, Orikawa broke the silence of stomping feet, "Mr. Muuyo, I must ask you. You replied when wanting shinobi to guard you that the mission at most would have only low-ranked thieves. Tamara was most likely a misguided chuunin who was taught very little when he was younger. His skills were no better than my subordinates. However, while I was conducting research when my subordinates were fighting, you replied that your brother would hire even jounins to have your precious family heirloom. I believe this mission would be a high-classed B mission," Orikawa replied and stared at Mr. Muuyo.

"Well, I suppose that this would be a B mission. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of money. Although my brother is wealthy, my family has never been very prosperous. I'm sorry if I have cost you so much trouble. However, I beg of you to help me. Without me, my life and my brother's life will become ruined," Mr. Muuyo begged with sorrow filling his eyes.

"Why would we turn back if we're almost at Konoha?" Derno asked, clenching his hand into a fist.

Mr. Muuyo smiled and mustered up the courage to say one word, "Thank-you."

"Well, I suppose that's settled. Let's go," Toro replied placing both hands behind is head and smiled.

Sierra merely stared at the scene and began walking towards Konoha. What great people…


	9. Chapter Eight

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"WE'RE HERE!" Derno shouted happily, jumping up and down from his happiness.

"Finally," Toro muttered under his breath and replied, "Stupid, we still need to escort Mr. Muuyo."

"I believe we'll need to see the Hokage first to ensure him of your safe journey and to inform him of a precious jewel in his possession. I would think you'd be giving him this gem. Am I correct?" Orikawa asked.

"Why, yes? But, how did you know of all the people in Konoha, I'd give it to the Fourth?" Mr. Muuyo asked curiously.

"It's a bit of common sense actually. Of all the people in Konoha, giving the gem to the Fourth would ensure the most perfect security. Few dare to cross the Fourth. Although he is old, he is wise and stronger beyond an average shinobis' comprehension. He is the one man in Konoha that would not allow greed to taint the hands of something so pure," Orikawa replied, beaming at his answer—showing his immense trust and admiration for the Hokage.

"I'm glad we share the same views," Mr. Muuyo consented and began walking towards the tower where all the Hokages have stayed.

"What's so great about this Hokage anyway?" Derno asked; crossing at his arms, apparently not satisfied about giving so much respect to one man.

"Don't you even know what a Hokage is?" Sierra hissed, completely dismayed by Derno's lack of intelligent.

Before Derno could reply, Toro began his explanation, "A Hokage is the leader of the Fire Country. There are several kages in this land, such as Kazekage. Anyways, to be elected Hokage, a shinobi must show immense strength, wisdom, and sincerity. In this case, the shinobi is the elite of all shinobi."

Within a few seconds, Derno replied, "Oh…"

"Baka," Sierra muttered.

"This gem is very precious. I'm not sure if I could accept it, Shunnin," the Hokage spoke.

"It is beyond my might to protect this jewel from thieves, Hokage. I ask of you to protect this jewel. Do whatever with it, but please never let it touch tainted hands," Mr. Muuyo asked.

The Hokage placed his hands on his chin and replied, "Very well, I will protect this gem. Thank-you for contributing such a precious heirloom of yours, it will be given great care."

"Thank-you, Hokage, I could ask of nothing more," Mr. Muuyo thanked gratefully and bowed.

With that being said, Mr. Muuyo walked out of the room.

"Orikawa, I see you have new subordinates. It has been a long time since I last saw you," the Hokage informed with a slight smile on his face.

"I suppose it has been a long time. I finally found peace in Sebir. However, this village always seems peaceful and welcoming when coming back," Orikawa explained with a smile on his face.

"I see that you received a strong batch of subordinates. You must be proud," the Hokage said and stared at the children who seemed to care less about the situation.

"Sometimes happiness can be found in different ways other than revenge," the Hokage said suddenly, "Life is a mystery and can run in a circle. You may even come back to the beginning."

Sierra looked up and found that he was looking in her direction. She merely looked away towards the window at the village and frowned at her memories.

"Well, I suppose would it be okay to stay in the village for a little bit of time? I find that training my subordinates in Konoha may allow certain techniques to be developed. I always would meet some friends as well," Orikawa asked.

"Certainly, visitors and past residents are always welcomed," the Hokage allowed and smiled.

"Hey Sierra and Toro, let's go get some ramen! I hear that a place called Icharaku Ramen tastes great!" Derno invited.

"Sure!" Toro accepted, hungered and wanting something to eat other than wild fruits and vegetables.

"It's not a date," Sierra snapped and gave Derno a glare.

Derno placed his hands in front of him and replied, "Okay, okay. Just don't give me that glare!"

They passed by several shops to find an open booth that could be smelled several feet away. Although not as well developed, the atmosphere was friendly and just the smell would tempt many tourists.

"Ah, we have some customers," the owner replied, "What would you like?"

After ordering the appropriate dishes, the team began talking about their lives and recent mission. Of course, the subject changed after a minute or so.

"So Sierra, what do you think of Konoha?" Derno asked curiously, seeing as how Sierra drifted off every few minutes when looking around.

"It's—well it's a bit hard to describe actually. Whenever I'm here, I always feel that I'm at peace. Of course, it just brings back memories. Memories I'd rather not remember. I use to live here actually," Sierra replied and drifted off again.

Both Toro and Derno looked at each other and realized not to question her any further. Although arguing was in each teammate's blood, they knew when to stop. This was an understood concept between them that they need not to discuss.

"The ramen is ready!" the chef announced and placed the bowls of ramen in front of Team B.

After placing their gratitude, the Genins began eating.

"THIS IS GREAT!" Derno yelled out loud.

Suddenly appearing, a boy announced with a similar loud mouth, "I KNOW! I THINK ICHARAKU RAMEN IS THE BEST!"

This boy had a similar look to Derno. His hair was a very bright colored blonde, wore an orange jumpsuit, and gave an ear-to-ear smile.

"The name's Nodin Derno. What's yours?" Derno asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto and I'll become the next Hokage!" Naruto screamed, bending his arms in triumph as if he had already achieved his goal.

"Good luck," Sierra muttered, closing her eyelids, "I doubt a loudmouth like you could ever become something so great."

Pointing at Sierra, Naruto yelled out of fury, "I'LL BECOME HOKAGE! THAT'S A PROMISE OF A LIFETIME!"

"Unlike her, I hope you do become Hokage," Toro replied, trying to repress a fight or argument that may form.

Naruto took this as a compliment and quickly ordered his favorite bowls of ramen.

Strangely enough, Naruto and Derno found similarities between them. They found that they had both just been promoted as Genins and shared similar beliefs such as their love of ramen.

"I'm glad I don't live in Konoha," Sierra said, covering her ears from the loud chatter of two boys.

"You can say that again," Toro agreed, also covering his ears.

Sierra sighed and looked down at the water. She was sitting on a dock on the outskirts of a lake.

"I haven't been here for quite a while…" Sierra thought out loud, looking at her reflection.

Flashback

"Hey Sierra, look what I can do now!" a boy exhibited with an excited look on his face.

"Hi Sasuke, did you learn a new technique?" Sierra asked with a similar smile on her face.

"Yeah, I was just taught Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu from my dad!" Sasuke said excitedly and began making intricate signs.

In a few seconds, a large amount of fire was blown out of Sasuke's mouth.

"Wow," Sierra commented, unable to speak, "Can you teach me how to do that?

"Sure," Sasuke agreed and began showing Sierra the signs to summon the chakra.

"Look Sasuke, I finally made mine as big as yours!" Sierra yelled happily.

"Yeah, yours is pretty good, but mine's better!" Sasuke argued.

Flashback

Sierra looked up at the sky and wished to see some sign of hope. In spite of this, the stars were beaming down before her like before. Cold, heartless, like a shining jewel unable to bring love, the stars only shined brightly down on her. One tear dropped from an eye, then another until they poured down upon her smooth face. She buried her head into her knees and cried like she had done so many times before…


	10. Chapter Nine

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"Hey, Sierra, wake up," a confident but small voice replied.

Sierra opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the light shining down upon her.

"Are you okay? You fell asleep near the dock," Orikawa explained, while sitting beside her using a backwards chair and placing his arms at the top of the chair.

"I'm sorry for making you search for me," Sierra said and frowned.

"I suppose this place has too many memories for us, doesn't it?" Orikawa asked and smiled.

Sierra nodded and replied, "Yesterday, the Hokage was speaking to me, wasn't he?"

"The Fourth is very wise, and you should consider his words," Orikawa replied.

"It's just—what happened to my clan. I never wanted them to be…killed. I never even suspected that day either. It's just that I miss everyone so," Sierra said and looked at her toes.

"When I lost my friends during missions, I didn't know what to do. I felt like I lost my dreams, my goals, just everything fell apart. However, I found that I still had great friends back home too. Although they'll never replace the one's you love, they do make you keep on living. I find that my old family and friends wouldn't enjoy seeing me today unhappy and doing nothing just for the sake of them, wouldn't you agree?" Orikawa advised and smiled with utmost sincerity.

For the first time in years, Sierra gave a semi-smile.

"Today, we will be working on how to concentrate chakra," Orikawa instructed.

"What good is that going to do us? It's not like it'll help us be better at making techniques." Derno asked while sitting on the soft grass.

"He does have a point there, sensei. If you can make the techniques, what good is it if you can mold chakra already?" Sierra asked as a student.

"Toro, I believe you have a good understanding of this. Why don't you try and explain?" Orikawa commanded.

"Basically, if you know how to maintain your chakra level better, it may help you allow you to use less stamina. This will be greatly beneficial during wars or long battles," Toro explained.

"Correct," Orikawa complimented and went on with the lesson, "Today, I want you to concentrate chakra on your hands. To see if your chakra level is at a level that is not too strong or not too weak, you must climb the cliff using only your hands. I will demonstrate."

With ease, Orikawa began climbing the fifteen foot cliff using only his hands. Within a minute, he reached the top with ease.

"If you use too much chakra, you will be unable to move and run out of chakra very easily. However, using too little chakra will allow you to fall to the ground. I believe that is enough said," Orikawa ascertained and ushered his subordinates to start.

"I'm slipping!" Derno remarked, sliding back down to the ground.

With similar results, Sierra began falling as well, panting from the force she mustered to climb only a third of the length.

"You two have to find a median between too little and too much chakra," Orikawa instructed, watching his subordinates like an eagle.

"I did it!" Toro yelled from the top.

A sweatdrop appeared from Derno's head, "How—How'd you do that on the first try?"

"Dunno, just felt natural to do something like that," Toro answered.

_'Not surprising, seeing as how he's a genjutsu type,'_ Orikawa thought.

"This sucks…" Sierra mumbled and began trying to climb the cliff again, gaining a few inches this time.

"I'll give both of you these to show you your progress or downfall," Orikawa spoke, handing them two kunais, "I'll treat you Toro for dinner since you're the first to make it to the top. You two will continue the task until you make it to the top. I don't care how long it takes either."

"Orikawa, do you think it's okay to leave those two?" Toro asked, concerned, "I mean, they might as well walk off just because of frustration."

"What you're saying is true, however I place my complete trust in both of them," Orikawa explained, "Those two, although different in many ways, they hate to lose. You should know that best, actually. They won't quit based on their own beliefs."

Toro looked back at the darkened sky and an idea popped up in his head, "Orikawa, do you anything about Derno? I should ask him, but he's always hiding a lot."

"I know a bit about him actually," Orikawa agreed and closed his eyes, "You're right that he should tell you this, but since he's your teammate, it's best for you to know anyways. The Nodin clan is pretty much uses taijutsu as its major fighting style. I'm quite sure that his father taught him everything he knows concerning taijutsu. However, several years ago, a beast arrived in Konoha called the Nine-Tailed Fox—such a powerful beast as well. If I'm not mistaken, several of Derno's family members were killed then including his father. His father left powerful scrolls instructing him on techniques. So, I'm not surprised if Derno has gone to the limit to accomplish many of what those scrolls inform. Derno has experienced little love and can't show it very well. That's why he wants attention so often by speaking so loudly. Underneath the hard exterior lies a person that I hope can become your friend and teammate."

Toro sighed and frowned, "I never thought he went through so much. I suppose he didn't realize that the boy we met at Ichiraku Ramen was the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox either, did he?"

"I suppose not," Orikawa replied and asked, "How did you know that you met Naruto as well?"

"It's not that hard to figure out, actually. I heard of him from my parents. They didn't actually tell me, but I usually can hear them talk at night about that 'fateful night.'" Toro explained and looked downwards.

Orikawa searched Toro's eyes and knew what he was thinking, "As for Sierra, I realize you want to know more about her, don't you? Her past is pretty complicated as well, and she never would talk about it to you I suppose. The Uchiha clan was an undisputed elite inhabitant. Their famous technique was the Sharingan as Sierra demonstrated during the mission. Unfortunately, there was an Uchiha who for some reason killed the entire clan. So there are three survivors up to now."

"Three survivors?" Toro questioned.

"The one who killed the entire clan—Itachi, Sierra, and Itachi's brother—Uchiha Sasuke," Orikawa replied.

"Uchiha Sasuke, eh?" Toro retorted and then replied, "Where is Sasuke?"

"Ironically, he's here in Konoha," Orikawa answered simply.

"Does Sierra know he's here or even, well, alive?" Toro asked, apparently intrigued upon the topic.

"Obviously not, otherwise she would have visited him more often," Orikawa replied.

"She does travel outside the village's borders a lot though," Toro replied.

"Well, there have been no reports that she came back to Konoha ever since Itachi's murderous attempts," Orikawa stated, assuring Toro, "Well, I have to go visit a friend that I haven't seen in years. I'll see you later, and tell me when Sierra and Derno are back."

"Sure thing," Toro replied, and then asked out of curiosity, "Who are you going to meet?"

"Aren't you curious today? Well, if you must know," Orikawa sighed and replied, "Hatake Kakashi."


	11. Chapter Ten

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"I'm…not…going…to…lose…to…you!" Derno yelled out of frustration (panting in between words), seeing as how he was halfway from his destination.

Looking upwards, Sierra saw that she was in about the same place as Derno, "Same…goes…for…me!"

Derno's Flashback

"Hey son, how are you?" a manly, young voice asked.

"I just came back from school, dad!" a young Derno replied, "Dad, can you teach me how to do some more taijutsu?"

"Sure thing," the father replied, and rubbed Derno's head.

"Keep your arm up, son," Derno's father instructed, "Otherwise, that will be a clear opening for an enemy."

"Hai!" Derno acknowledged and began using taijutsu against his father.

Derno's father easily blocked his punches and hit Derno to a pile of grass and manure.

Derno wobbled but stood up with difficulty. He was gasped and replied, "I…won't…stop!"  
Derno's father smiled and replied with a strong voice, "Then come at me again!"

"HAI!" Derno yelled with confidence.

Derno's flashback

_'That was the last time I saw him. I won't let him down. I'll show him that I will become a great shinobi,'_ Derno thought and looked at the cliff in front of him. It suddenly turned much smaller.

Sierra's flashback

"Sierra, how did you do today?" a maternal voice asked.

"Shuriken practice was great today!" a young Sierra replied, "Is it time for medical-nin training now, mother?"

The mother nodded moved her finger to represent Sierra to come nearer.

"Sierra, look here, it's a small ant. It's cut in half. What I want you to do is use the seals and procedures I taught you yesterday. Now, try and rejoin the ant so it will live," the mother instructed and pointed at the tiny ant before them.

"Poor ant…" Sierra commented and began working on her task.

"I did it!" Sierra yelled after trying hard on her task.

Sierra's mother smiled and gave Sierra a hug, "Good job, Sierra. For doing such a good job, I have a present for you."

"A present?" Sierra retorted and her eyes lit up from the word.

"Uh-huh," Sierra's mother replied and gave a small wrapped to Sierra—placing it into her hands.

"A locket!" Sierra replied and tied it around her neck.

"It has a picture of your father and me so you'll never forget…"

Sierra's flashback

Sierra opened the locket and saw the smiling faces of her parents.

_'I'll revenge your souls,'_ Sierra thought and knew what she must do.

Sierra looked to the side as Toro looked at her the same way.

"Scared?" Toro asked, with a bruised face and smiled.

Sierra smirked and replied, "I like you too."

With those words being said, Sierra and Toro began climbing the cliff. Each movement was synchronized and felt much easier than before. The top became ever nearer now. The power surged between them.

"I GOT IT!" Sierra and Toro yelled together. Toro smiled more than ever while Sierra gave a smirk, crossing her arms.

"Pretty good, baka," Sierra replied.

"You know I beat you!" Toro retorted.

"Like that'll ever happen," Sierra spoke and gave him a death glare, but secretly, she knew that they had tied as did Toro.

_'I didn't know their pasts were that horrible. I always thought they were pretty happy and content. I didn't know…' _Toro thought.

Suddenly, the door opened and Toro looked through the corner of his eyes and smiled, "What took you two so long?"

"Sorry, it was just hard," Derno explained.

Toro looked at Sierra then at Derno who both looked pretty happy although not actually smiling. If you think about it though, smiling isn't the only way to show happiness in life.

_'Although their pasts are sad and mournful, they have friends that can help them get through the bad, and I'm happy to say they'll always be my friends,'_ Toro thought and replied, "You two are such slowpokes!"

"Me? A slowpoke? What are you talking about?" Derno yelled out and began pointing accusingly at Toro.

The atmosphere became playful and despiteful at the same time.

A sigh was heard behind Orikawa who was leaning on the wall, "It's been a long time, Orikawa."

"Yeah, it has," Orikawa replied and smiled, "So, what are you doing here?"

"I find it peaceful actually and can't help just staying here. I found some new subordinates recently as well," the voice replied who stepped out of the darkness.

"Ah, who are they?" Orikawa asked, interested.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura," the voice merely said.

"What a strong group," Orikawa commented, "However, I'm not surprised that you would have strong group, Kakashi."

"How about you?" Kakashi asked, interested as well.

"Well, I usually like to keep my personal affairs secret. But, I suppose it'll be okay to disclose the team members with you. Nodin Derno, Kamiga Toro, and Uchiha Sierra," Orikawa answered with a grin, hoping to show off his team members.

"So we both have the Uchiha clan," Kakashi observed and grinned, although it was hard to see he grinned due to the mask covering his mouth.

"Doesn't matter if you have an Uchiha, I just know that my team is stronger," Orikawa joked and laughed, "So how is Gai?"

Ignoring the first comment and giving a frown, Kakashi replied, "I hear his team is strong as well. I don't know much about them, but I do recall hearing he has last year's number one rookie, Hyuuga Neji."

"A Hyuuga, eh?" Orikawa repeated, "His Byakugan must be unimaginably gifted."

"So, I hear that our Genins can compete in the Chuunin Exam this year. It's only a rumor. Nevertheless, what would you do if the Hokage gave you this option," Kakashi asked, placing his hands in his pockets and looking at the moon.

"Hmm… I think their ready. Their last mission showed me that," Orikawa answered and sighed, "What would you do?"

"I'd do the same," Kakashi answered.

"Well, if we're given the option, I suppose we'll see how well our subordinates do," Orikawa replied and grinned.

Kakashi had to grin as well.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

A few months had passed for Team B. Sierra had developed more skills and could handle her Sharingan. Toro had become increasingly proficient in genjutsu. As for Derno, what can you say? He was loud as ever. Speaking for his talents, his defense became almost impenetrable and his attacks became superb.

"Orikawa-sensei, I have a request that I need to ask of you," Toro replied one day after training.

"What is it?" Orikawa asked, wondering what Toro would need of him.

"It's nothing you have to do. I would just like to go out into the country for a few weeks. When Sierra always leaves, she becomes stronger. So, if it's okay, may I take leave of training for a while?" Toro asked.

Orikawa sighed and replied after a few minutes of silence, "Toro, you know it's still dangerous outside Sebir."

"I know…" Toro mumbled but then asked with determination, "If the Chuunin exam is really coming up, I need to become stronger!"

"Then you know…" Orikawa spoke and placed his hand running through his tangled hair, "Well, if you really would like to, I suppose you can. Just try not to abuse the privilege of being able to go out of Sebir's borders freely. We are one of the very few villages that let their inhabitants to travel. However, you must come back in three weeks."

Toro smiled and nodded, "Oh, by the way, I'm pretty sure Sierra already left because she knows about the Chuunin exam as well. So, don't be surprised if she's not going to be at training."

"WHAT!" Orikawa yelled.

Derno looked around and frowned, "Everyone's left. I wonder what I can do?"  
"Yo," Orikawa appeared in front of him and waved, "Well, I suppose you know that your other two teammates have left and gone traveling."

Derno nodded and looked to the side.

"Which is why I need to tell you to do the same," Orikawa replied.

With a shocked face, Derno asked, "But—why?"  
"Well, usually when a shinobi travels to other lands, they can find their competition and learn how to counterattack their attacks. Also, you may meet new people that may help you to become ready for the Chuunin exam," Orikawa answered and smiled back to Derno.

"Chuunin exam?" Derno asked confused what it was.

Orikawa slapped his face and muttered something inaudible, but clearly concerned Toro and his explanations, "Don't you want to become a Chuunin?"  
However, by the time Orikawa asked, Derno was halfway down the road going to pack his clothing, food, and whatever he needed to travel.

"Excuse me, do you know this man?" Sierra asked to a traveler, pointing to a picture of a man in vagabond's clothes wearing a sword. He was covered in bandages and muscular.

"He just past this village a few days ago, miss," the foreigner replied, pointing to the direction in which he left.

Sierra sighed and wrapped up the scroll with the picture of the man, "Thank-you."

She began running in that direction and spoke out loud, "This is going to take a while. I only have three weeks to do this."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PACK!" Derno yelled out of frustration, looking at the pile of clothes, food, and weapons.

He suddenly dropped and laid on his back, "I wonder where Toro and Sierra are…"

"Excuse me," Toro replied and politely tapped a woman's shoulder, "Which way is the Village of Konoha?"

"Follow the trail on the right, and I'll make a guess that it's about ten miles from here. Are you training for the Chuunin exam?" the foreigner mysteriously asked.

"Why yes, actually," Toro replied, however concerned as how the person knew, "How did you know?"

"When I was a jounin, I allowed my subordinates to travel around to prepare for the Chuunin exam," the jounin explained, "There's a famous dojo here. Why don't you go and try it out? I guarantee you that you may find an opponent there or an accomplished master."

Toro thought about it and replied, "Why not? I wasn't sure what I was going to do in Konoha anyways. Where's the dojo?"

"Right behind you, actually," the foreigner replied.

"So, tell me, Sierra, what brings you here?" a wheezy voice asked.

Sierra spoke, breathing heavily between words, "Was that some kind of test to try and let me track you down?"

The wheezy voice laughed and took off his bandages. Underneath the bandages was a heavily scarred body over what would be a handsome and muscular body, "So you've finally mastered the Sharingan—a bit slower than Uchiha Sasuke."

Sierra stared hard into the unreadable eyes and replied, "He's alive, Makoto-sensei?"

"I thought you would already have found out. You do realize he is this year's number one rookie," Makoto explained.

"I could care less about his placement, even if he ranked dead last," Sierra explained and spat to the side. She sped quickly to her master and began an attack.

Makoto sighed and replied, "You know, if you were a bit more ladylike and tried to fix up in the morning, a lot of boys would like you."

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH NINJA TACTICS?" Sierra screamed and punched Makoto.

With ease, Makoto dodged the punch and kicked her in the stomach—making her go to her knees and clutching her stomach, "Your defense is poor. I think I have an idea of what I should work on with you at the moment. I just spoke with the Hokage earlier this week, and I know who will be contending. I'm not going to tell you who they are but you should have a pretty good idea. Also, don't depend on your Sharingan. There's more bloodline techniques in there too—so don't get cocky."

Still clutching her stomach, Sierra winced and asked, "What are they?"

"Well, there's the Byakugan," Makoto began but realized he was giving out too much information, "That doesn't matter. Anyways, I'm going to help you release your own Byakugan."

"It's my father's side, isn't it?" Sierra asked with a slight mournful tone.

Makoto sighed and realized what she must be feeling, "Yes, it is."

Toro stepped into the dimly-lit dojo. The only visible light came from candles in a dark hallway.

"Go forward," the mysterious person responded, "At the end of the hallway, you'll see the training room."

"Who's the master here?" Toro asked, wondering if he was walking into a trap.

"You'll see," the person answered, smiling mischievously.

Toro sighed and decided to follow the instructions. At the end of the hallway was a large room. There were several people that seemed to be monks due to the constant chanting. Their faces were hidden due to the oversized cloaks they wore.

"The master is sitting up there," the person pointed out. The master was the largest person there. His cloak was extremely enormous, and he was the only one not chanting.

"Welcome, Toro," the master greeted.

"How did you know my name?" Toro asked, worried that he had just walked into an ambush.

"You're not in an ambush, and I have been expecting you for some time. You're very cautious for someone so young," the master answered and began his speech again, "However, caution should be used very often when you are in the Chuunin exam—especially in the forest. That is where caution should be used the most."

"The forest?" Toro asked.

"You'll find out later," the master replied and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, Toro saw the people who had spoken chants had risen and stopped chanting. The room became silent in an eerie way.

"I would like to test your skills—taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu," the master replied and ordered a person on the left of Toro to commence.

The person that was ordered threw his cloak to the side. With a smug look on his face, he greeted Toro by saying, "My name is Makawa, the person who will test you on taijutsu."

Toro bowed and went into his fighting stance, "So tell me, what level are you for a shinobi."

"I would be a jounin," Makawa answered without any signs of emotion, "Thus, I would expect that you must defend yourself."

"Don't worry, I'll survive if that's what you're thinking," Toro replied.

"I like your attitude," Makawa replied and sped as quickly as lightning towards Toro.

"I FINISHED PACKING!" Toro yelled out of glee and sped towards the borders of Sebir.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"Yo, Derno," Orikawa greeted, "Are you heading out now?"

"Yeah," Derno replied but then hesitantly asked, "I wonder, Orikawa, could you teach me some more jutsu? I have no idea what I should do when I go out of Sebir's borders."

Orikawa stared deeply into Derno's eyes and saw a look of full determination. He sighed and replied, "You do realize I'll have to be much harder and stricter than practice and when we go on missions…"

Derno grinned and yelled out of excitement, "I'M READY!"

Orikawa grinned and replied, "Meet me at the mountainside."

Derno nodded and gave a thumbs-up towards Orikawa, "I'll do my best."

"You'd better," Orikawa commented and disappeared.

"Sit down, Sierra," Makoto courteously demanded, moving his hand to a seat nearby him.

Sierra looked curiously at him, wondering why he was directing her to sit down when she had just tried to bit the heck out of him.

"I'll explain a little bit about Byakugan," Makoto informed, "Try not to ask too many questions. If you're going against some Byakugan users during the Chuunin exam, you'll need to unleash your own Byakugan as well. Byakugan is an ultimate bloodline technique used by the Hyuuga clan—as you should know. Once you unleash Byakugan, you'll be able to see through almost anything. This also includes reading what a person is thinking through their eye movement. I've never tried unleashing it with a pupil though. So this'll be an experience."

Sierra's eyes twitched and waited a minute to calm down, "Then how am I supposed to unleash Byakugan when I don't even know how?"

Makoto grinned and replied, "You're going to have to do that yourself."

"THEN WHY AM I HERE!" Sierra yelled, confused and frustrated.

Makoto sighed and took his finger out of his ear, "Loud-mouthed girl…"

Toro easily dodged the kick of Makawa and jumped up to the ceiling. Placing enough chakra on his feet, he stood on the ceiling, looking downwards onto Makawa.

Makawa sped his arm towards Toro and made direct contact. However, Toro replaced his original position with Makawa's cloak and landed a kick onto his opponent's back. However, Toro looked at where his foot laid and saw that Makawa had disappeared. Looking behind him, he saw Makawa and could not do anything. Seeing an opening, Makawa struck a punch towards Toro.

The master raised his hand, which seemed to give the symbol of "stop." Suddenly, another monk commenced to the same spot where Toro had started with Makawa. This monk politely bowed and took of his cloak as well. He was ghostly pale and his face was hardened. Toro could see that this man was blind.

"Do not be fooled since I cannot see, boy. Although my eyes are not of use, my sense of hearing has been heightened. My name is Yao. Come if you dare," Yao implied and smiled, moving his fingers.

"So, what will you test me on?" Toro asked curiously.

"Genjutsu," Yao responded but spoke again, "Be wary of where you tread though."

Toro looked downwards and saw a dark pit. He began sinking lower and lower.

"This is an amateur trick. You'll have to defeat me with something much stronger," Toro replied and built up chakra to dispose the image.

Yao smiled and sat Indian-styled. He began reciting incantations that involved significant, intricate signs that Toro glimpsed. Yao mightily yelled out the last word which began a mighty wind that blew past Toro. Toro was then sent to a cold atmosphere filled with ice, snow, and people who huddled together to keep warm. His eyes staggered to see so much need. However, he remembered what he must do and began to use this time to his advantage. Closing his eyes, he began making his own incantations as well. This quickly dismissed the image, and Toro quickly sent a horrifying image towards Yao.

"This is a very good try," Yao articulated, "However, I must remind you that I am no ordinary shinobi. I have traveled long and far across the land. I have seen genjutsu like you have never seen before."

Yao placed two fingers up and placed them to make a symbol, "Now feel the wraths of my…"

The master held his hand up to signify—like Makawa—to stop and nodded to the last monk.

As the two monks before him, the last monk took of his cloak and placed it neatly to the side.

"My name is Hirota--master of ninjutsu. Come forward if you dare," Hirota hissed at Toro, motion his fingers to come towards him.

Without following directions, Toro stood in his original location and merely stared at Hirota who became impatient.

"Are you deaf my boy?" Hirota asked.

Toro shook his head and stared straight at Hirota with his eyes glaring.

Hirota scratched his head and replied, "You must be a special case then… Oh well, fine with me, I'll just have to come near you."

Toro smiled and made a defense stance.

"However, I'll let my friends do that instead," Hirota contradicted and summoned thousands of rats, "They're trained to hunt down my opponent and eat the living flesh off of them."

Toro frowned and looked in horror at the rats. Rats were the most disgusting things he believed on the face of the earth. Like a coward, Toro fled from his spot and stood on the ceiling.

"Right where I want you, boy!" Hirota spoke in glee and dashed towards the ceiling, laying several punches on Toro's cowering body, "You 'fraid of rats? Well, that's okay. You've got to start somewhere so you won't die from you missions, don't you think? Rats aren't too bad once you get to know them!"  
"That's what you think," Toro replied and laid a strike-and-hit combo against Hirota who blocked only a few.

"You're pretty talented for such a young child. I'll give you that. However, when you're weaker than your opponent, you've got to think a little bit harder," Hirota replied and stood up easily between his minions of rats.

Toro began reciting inaudible words and placed a genjutsu trance on the rats. They all stopped in the middle of their tracks and stood as still as if they were dead.

"MY RATS!" Hirota spoke out of fury and mercilessly struck Toro who lay on the floor—probably unable to move.

The master raised his hand to stop.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

It had been some time after Team B's first meeting with their new trainers or in Derno's case—Old trainers. They began experiencing and trying new jutsu and battling techniques.

"Orikawa, this sucks!" Derno yelled from pain and exhaustion.

Orikawa sat on the ground, placing his hands on his chin, "You can quit if you'd like. I guarantee you that your competitors will have powerful jutsu as well."

Derno twitched his eyebrows and quickly replied, "No, hehe, that's okay."

Derno began concentrating his chakra into his palm (again). Showing disinterest, Orikawa stared at the dirt underneath his body and began playing with it.

"What is your problem? At least you could tell me if I'm doing it right," Derno complained with a whiny tone.

Orikawa looked at Derno and simply spoke, "Well, are you doing it right?"

Again, Derno twitched his eyebrows and began concentrating his chakra, "It's been a week and I'm still at this point.

"Why don't you try harder," Orikawa mumbled—loud enough for Derno to hear.

Now, Derno began trembling and replied, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Looking like a stupid person looking at the sand swirling around," Orikawa truthfully analyzed.

Derno kept his silence and saw that the sand now took shape. He smiled and pointed it out to the mesmerized Orikawa.

_'I never thought he'd be able to do it. Of course, it took me about the same time…such a patient teacher. How did he ever do it?' _Orikawa thought while looking up at the sky.

Derno stared at Orikawa and began becoming impatient, "Well, aren't you going to say something! I made the weapon!"

"Good, now get a large rock," Orikawa replied and handed him a large rock that was about a foot wide and 2 feet high.

Derno merely stared at the rock and spat out his thoughts, "It's HUGE!"

"The more practice the better. Plus, it'll show you can basically use anything to make a weapon. Doesn't that make you feel good?" Orikawa asked and smiled.

"No…"

Rushed and hard panting could be heard in a dimly lit cave.

"Try again," Makoto repeated while reading Itcha Itcha Paradise.

"Easy for you to say while reading that perverted book," Sierra replied, breathing heavily between words.

Makoto's veins rose out of his head and calmly spoke, "This book is a masterpiece! Even the young people like it, haven't you noticed?"  
"Now that you mentioned it, the perverted weird people like it," Sierra replied while placing a finger on her chin.

Another vein popped out of Makoto's head, "Even the strongest enjoy this book. I know for a fact that the Fourth enjoys this book and that sensei of yours's rival…what's his name? I think Kakashi is enthralled by this book."

"Doesn't mean that they aren't pervs like you the last time I checked," Sierra answered and made her eyes small, staring right at her teacher.

"What are you doing? Practice the Byakugan! You've only done a flicker, and that's the best you've done so far too," Makoto scolded, apparently not amused by Sierra's comments.

"Not my fault that you read dirty books, sensei," Sierra responded.

"Didn't I just give you a command?" Makoto ordered.

"Whatever…" Sierra mumbled and placed her hands on her hips, "This is going to take a while…"

"Calm yourself, child," the master ordered.

Immediately, Toro calmed his trembling body and began concentrating his chakra again.

The master sighed and asked, "Toro, how much longer until you must return?"

"I think I need to come back next week," Toro replied calmly.

The master sighed and watched Toro's strained and bruised body, _'This child has capabilities that I have never experienced before. But a week left is a bit short to learn this type of genjutsu. I wonder if he can manage it.'_

As if almost reading the master's mind, Toro spoke, "I'll finish this jutsu before I leave. I guarantee it."

The master smiled and nodded his head, "I wouldn't doubt it."

As if those words were the trigger, chakra built up around Toro's body. The room darkened and an eerie sound filled the room.

"Nope, I wouldn't doubt it Toro," the master said again and smiled even wider.

"Derno, concentrate on the rock," Orikawa ordered.

Sweat dropped in enormous amounts down Derno's head. The rock had only dented in several places. However, a shape of a sword had not come into view yet. Derno looked at the rock and his hand. Maybe, if he moved his hand in a different place, then just maybe…

"Orikawa, I'm going to try something different," Derno replied and quickly moved his hand around in several places.

His hand movement was swift and blurred around the large rock. Chakra surrounded his hand while he moved his hand around several spots. In several minutes, a smooth dagger appeared—following the shape of a handle.

"What do you think?" Derno asked with glee.

"It took a long time," Orikawa merely answered however with some delight in his voice.

Derno sweat dropped and began accusing Orikawa of his never-ending dissatisfaction.

_'With more practice Derno, you may become proficient in this and become even better than me,'_ Orikawa thought and grabbed an even larger stone, "Do the same thing with this one. We have less than a week left. Hurry up and finish this one. Then we'll move on to something harder."

"Five minutes, Sierra," Makoto relayed the time.

Sierra fell onto the ground out of exhaustion. Her eyes had achieved the famed Byakugan. However, holding on to this power became increasingly difficult with ever second.

"How long am I supposed to hold on to the Byakugan?" Sierra asked quietly.

"One more minute," Makoto sternly replied and watched his clock, "By the way Sierra, how much longer do we have together before you must return?"  
"About a week," Sierra replied, struggling to keep the Byakugan up.

"A bit short, don't you think?" Makoto asked but did not get a reply. Sierra had been knocked out cold. Makoto sighed and picked his subordinate up and placed her on the bed.

"There was only five seconds left," Makoto mumbled, staring at the clock again, "Only a week left…"


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much!

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Another week had passed, and training had come to a close. Team B began traveling back to the Village of Sebir to see what would happen next with the Chuunin Selection Exam.

"Wow, Derno, you're early for once," Sierra commented with astonishment.

"Yeah, well I'm pretty excited today," Derno replied and smiled.

Toro also smiled and responded, "Can't blame you though. So where have you two been while I've been gone?"

"I was being trained by a Jounin," Sierra answered.

"Same here and the Jounin was Orikawa," Derno replied with a slight tone of arrogance.

"Well, didn't you get the special treatment?" Sierra mocked, sensing his arrogant self.

"I bet you didn't get a great teacher as Orikawa!" Derno retorted.

"I'd beg to differ!" Sierra argued, raising her arms slightly.

"You all just came back, and yet you're fighting already!" a familiar voice spoke and chuckled.

"She started it!" Derno mumbled under his breath.

Ignoring the comment, Sierra greeted Orikawa as did Toro.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you know why you're here," Orikawa began, "I nominated all of you into the Chuunin Exam, and here's the papers. You'll need to sign them and bring them to Room 301 of the Konoha Academy. We should leave pretty soon since we live quite far away from Konoha."

Each Genin's eyes lit up at the small piece of paper. The first step in becoming a Chuunin lay in their hands.

"Well, are there any questions?" Orikawa asked and looked around, "Good, we'll leave for Konoha tomorrow. Of course, if you don't want to become a Chuunin-"

"Are you crazy?" Derno asked with delight, "Not trying to become a Chuunin will defy my existence and beliefs!"

Sierra and Toro smiled and chuckled.

"He's right you know," Sierra responded, directing the comment to Toro and Orikawa.

Another few days passed. Familiar settings appeared in front of them as a peaceful setting came into sight.

"It's always so peaceful here," Orikawa commented while staring at Konoha.

"So those must be the Hokages," Toro muttered, looking at a mountain which had carved portraits of the leaders of Konoha.

"You probably will see the Fourth during the exam," Orikawa enlightened and spoke again, "I need to go do something. Why don't you all go sight-seeing? It'll be good for you to learn of Konoha for future purposes."

"Fine," Sierra answered and smiled, "I'm pretty sure we'll meet our competitors as well."

_'Perhaps I'll see Sasuke…'_

"Well, we've already met one before. Isn't that right Orikawa?" Toro asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto? Oh yes, you'll see him," Orikawa answered and began walking to another direction.

Vendors and shops passed by as the team walked around.

"Come and get some weapons!"

"Want some ramen?"

"We have the best clothes you can get!"  
"Our shoes are made from the best cows!"

"I'll be right back," Sierra spoke suddenly and went into one of the shops.

"Women and shopping…" Derno commented and shook his head.

"It's their life," Toro agreed and placed his hand through his hair.

"Hey boys, here for the Chuunin exam?" a nearby vendor asked.

"Actually, we'll be in the Chuunin exam!" Derno immediately answered delightfully.

"Really? Then maybe you'll see my daughter. She'll be competing in the Chuunin exam as well. Why don't you two boys meet her? She's very pretty!" the florist invited and giggled as well.

"Well, how can we say no?" Toro replied and smiled, a bit eager.

Derno nodded hurriedly, and both boys ran into the shop. Inside laid thousands of flowers. Near the cash register sat a girl who looked quite bored with the idea of being the cashier. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was quite slender and wore purple ninja clothing.

"Dear, here are some quite cute young boys that came to say hello. They'll be competing against you during the Chuunin exam," the florist introduced.

Still looking quite bored but began to look a bit more interested, the girl greeted by introducing her name, "Hello, my name is Yamanaka Ino. Welcome to Konoha's shop of flowers. There are many styles of flowers here."

Finally summoning enough energy, Ino looked upwards and saw a blonde-haired boy who looked decent in her eyes. The other was brown-haired and looked okay.

"Nice to meet you Ino. My name is Kamiga Toro," Toro introduced himself and politely smiled.

Derno waited and also introduced himself, "My name is Nodin Derno. We're from Sebir."

"Wow, that's a long way from here," Ino commented but was suddenly interrupted by a loud noise.

"What was that?" Derno asked curiously, looking outside.

"I don't know. Let's go check it out," Toro replied and looked at Ino, "It was nice to meet you. Sorry you have to stay here."

"Oh it's fine," Ino replied and waved good-bye.

"Wow, honey, you were nice to them," the mother replied.

"Well, they were nice back," Ino commented.

"Hey Sierra, did you hear—" Derno started but looked at Sierra. She was wearing a kimono, and her hair was up in a bun letting only two strands of hair to fall.

"The world is going to end," Toro muttered, staring at Sierra with disbelief.

"Shut up you two," Sierra spoke between her teeth.

Flashback

"Hey, Sierra," Makoto spoke, "When you get to Konoha, dress up."

"Why would I do that?" Sierra asked.

"Here's the money," Makoto replied and tossed her a bag of coins.

Sierra looked at the bag interestingly and placed it in her bag, "I'll think about it. Why so nice all of the sudden?"

Makoto smiled and answered, "My subordinates have to look nice instead of unruly."

"Are you saying I look ugly all the time?" Sierra asked angrily.

Flashback

"Why?" Sierra groaned and replied, "I'm going to change out of this. I'll put it on later. Wait a minute."

After several annoying minutes, Derno and Toro saw a plain girl (Sierra) again.

"I sort of miss the pretty Sierra," Derno joked to Toro.

"Gotta agree with you!" Toro laughed.

"Whatever, let's go. I want to know what happened," Sierra replied and headed straight towards the noise.

Within several turns, several shinobi lay in front of them.

"Kankuro, stop it!" a dirty-blonde haired girl replied to a man clothed in black.

"You're an embarrassment to our village," a red-haired boy spat out who carried a large gourd on his back.

"That guy gives me the creeps," Derno muttered under his breath, staring at the red-haired boy whose name was Gaara.

"You may be allies with the Leaf Village but… It is forbidden for shinobis to enter each other's villages without permission. State your purpose," a pink-haired shinobi commanded.

"Hah, talk about clueless. Don't you know anything? You're right; we are Genins from the Hidden Sand. We have come to your village to take the Chuunin Selection Exam," the blonde-haired shinobi enlightened, placing a smirk on her face.

"The Chuunin Exam?" Naruto- a boy that Team B had met before- asked.

"Oh, don't be too hard on them. Unlike you and me, we have to travel far. So it was necessary for our sensei to tell us ahead of time," Sierra appeared next to the blonde-haired girl and smiled, "Hi, my name's Sierra. What's yours?"

"Temari," the girl answered and shot her a glare. _'She's pretty fast, but she's not as good as Gaara.'_

Ignoring this, Sierra looked at the people in front of her, "So, you must be Kakashi's group. He'll probably tell you about the Exam later today."

"How do you know we're Kakashi's subordinates?" the pink-haired girl asked curiously.

"Well, Sakura, it's because of the two guys over there," Sierra answered.

"How—how did you know…" Sakura began but was interrupted.

"Sierra, you're being way too friendly to our competitors," Toro replied and stared at Gaara.

"What's the deal with you all the sudden?" Sierra mumbled and jumped back towards her own team, "You know it's been a while since I've been here. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

All eyes fell upon dark haired boy by the name of Sasuke who sat on a tree limb and didn't place his eyes on Sierra. He merely looked at Gaara evilly and asked Sierra, "Who are you?"

Immediately after the last word, Sierra clenched her fist—trembling in rage.

"This is the time to leave," Toro mouthed to Derno who nodded his head in agreement.

Quickly, Toro and Derno grabbed Sierra's arms and began carrying her with all their strength. However, before they were out of earshot, Sierra asked, "You with the red hair and gourd. What is your name?"

Gaara looked in her direction with his dark, deadly eyes, "Gaara of the Desert. It looks like this Exam will be interesting…"

Letting go, Toro and Derno stared at Gaara but smiled afterwards.

Toro placed his hand on his head, smiled, and replied, "Well, I guess we'll have to say the same thing."

"How did she know my name?" Sakura asked at a bridge in the middle of Konoha.

Naruto looked at her and replied, "I saw her before."

Sakura looked up at Naruto in astonishment and asked, "You saw her before? Where?"

"It was about two months ago. They had just completed a mission and went to Ichiraku Ramen," Naruto retorted.

"How strong are they?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Who knows…" Naruto replied with dismay.

"Tch, it doesn't matter if she knows your name or not Sakura. It changes nothing," Sasuke commented who was slouching nearby on the side of the bridge.

"I know. It's just that it bothers me. Doesn't it bother you too? She knew your name as well," Sakura thought out loud.

Suddenly, Sasuke looked at Sakura and replied, "It does bother me. I knew her once, but I can't remember where. However, she talks as stupid as that baka over there."

Sasuke remarked and pointed towards Naruto who became furious, "I'll defeat you, Sasuke. Then, I'll become the next Hokage!"

"Whatever," Sasuke brushed off and waited for the always late Kakashi.

"Hey Sierra," Derno asked, looking at Sierra who hadn't talked since the encounter, "How did you know those people?"

"Huh? Oh those people?" Sierra replied, apparently waking up from outer space and then made a semi-smile, "I used to go to school with them."

"You lived here before?" Derno asked again, eyeing Sierra now.

"Er- why don't we go get something to eat? I'm starving," Toro suddenly asked, changing the subject.

Apparently, this did the trick since Sierra and the boys began searching for some food. After looking around the area, they found a small place to eat that served sushi.

"The guy we met earlier," Toro stated, "Uchiha Sasuke isn't it? He's the number one rookie isn't he?"  
"Wouldn't be surprised if he was," Sierra replied glumly and continued eating.

"I don't like him," Derno began and munched onto his sushi like a grinding action, "He looks like one of those people who you can't get along with."

Suddenly Sierra stood on her feet and left some money on the table.

"Where are you going?" Derno asked, wondering if he had said something wrong.

Sierra turned her head around and answered, "We never really got to go exploring around Konoha earlier. I'm just going to get a head start. You know we won't have that much time later on when the competition starts."

With those words, Sierra left the restaurant and out of sight.

"What's with her?" Derno asked Toro who frowned at him.

"You're insulting her, and she's thinking about what happened earlier," Toro stated and looked at his sushi displeasingly. (It wasn't that good.)

"What did I do?" Derno asked with a bit of concern.

"Well, for starters, you insulted her childhood friend. That childhood friend also insulted her earlier by not even remembering her. Of course, I think he has a good reason. She looks a whole lot different than she was when she was younger. The truth is, she was basically pretty plain when she was younger. Sure she's not great looking, but that's because she doesn't care. You say her earlier. We both know that she can be if she wanted to," Toro answered with a smug look on his face.

"How was I supposed to know if he and Sierra were friends before, some friend," Derno commented and also looked at his sushi displeasingly—however, this wasn't from the taste.

"Well, there's not much you can do now. I don't think she's mad at you. She's probably pretty confused and kind of hates Sasuke at the moment. I'm pretty sure when she was here; he over-shadowed her like she does to me at Sebir," Toro uttered, cheering up Derno.

The lights from the village became a flicker in the distance. It was always so peaceful here no matter when you come—especially the lake. This lake held so many memories…

Sierra sighed and sat at the water's edge, "I don't know what to think. I wonder why he doesn't remember me. All this time, I remembered so much of him, and yet he doesn't think of me. He's the only person left. Like-"

Sierra turned around, and her eyes widened.

There with dark eyes and dark hair, clothed in his usual blue clothing with the Uchiha symbol on his back stood a person that gave her misery and the brother of a murderer.

"Sasuke?"


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Difference

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, here's the deal. I've decided to post the rest of the chapters that I was working on for some time. I was going to finish the story and then post the first chapter but I was way to anxious to see how it would do. I found out that my character is a Mary-Sueish girl. Thus, I have decided to edit and make adjustments. So basically I'm going to take down the story in a week or so. This is your LAST chance to read the original. So after a week, you'll be able to read the hopefully IMPROVED version of Difference. The storyline will change a bit and character traits may change as well. I really can't go into detail. The title will also stay the same. So I have to say, thank-you to all that helped me along this journey. I hope that I shall give readers more enjoyment than this story. Well, thank-you so much! _Oh by the way, this is an incomplete chapter..._

**HUGE AUTHOR'S NOTE**

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked in the darkness and treaded near her until he was only half a foot away. He sat down and looked at the water instead of her face.

Sierra sadly looked at the water as well and replied, "My name is Sierra."

"Your name sounds familiar," Sasuke replied.

This time, Sierra looked like she was about to cry. On the other hand, Sasuke was oblivious to this and began interrogating her again, "What's your family name?"

"What is your problem?" Sierra busted out and a tear dropped from her eyes and fell down her smooth cheek.

Sasuke looked at her in surprise and went back at looking at the water, "You know I'm beginning if you're her…"

Sierra looked at him wide-eyed and asked, "What do you mean by _her_?"

Sasuke sighed and replied, "Why should I tell you?"

"Because so far, you've been a nasty b, and I'd rather you leave me alone right now," Sierra told him truthfully, now several tears fell from her watery eyes.

"You're emotional like Sakura," Sasuke commented and sighed again, "I suppose I can tell you. It doesn't matter though. When I was younger, I used to be friends with a girl about my age. However, when they were ki—Well, she left a long time ago, and I've never seen her since."

Sierra looked at Sasuke hard and tried to see if he was trying to mock her. However, he wore a cold look on his face and probably thought very little of her.

_'So much for this kimono, it's not making me very happy since I bought it Makoto,'_ Sierra thought and slid to her back and watched the stars, "So you really don't remember me, do you?"

Sasuke gave an annoyed look at her and did not respond.

Sierra looked inside of her bag behind her and took out a pink ribbon _(note: see Ch.1)_, "I used to wear this all the time. But, it brings back too many memories."

She quickly tied her hair in a bun with the ribbon and stood up on her legs. She quickly looked back at Sasuke who still had that look in his eyes. She stared at him for quite a while before turning back in the opposite direction of Sasuke.

"So both you and I have the need for revenge. But I can see in your eyes a stronger desire," Sierra replied and started walking slowly, "I wouldn't mind if you killed him, but while I'm alive, I won't see you get killed by him either."

Sasuke finally looked at her and snarled, "How do you know?"

"You really are clueless…"

"It's passed midnight. Where is she?" Derno asked and twiddled his thumbs while sitting on his bed.

Toro looked over at the shaken Derno. With a sleepy voice, Toro replied, "She'll be alright. I feel pretty confident that she's not going to get hurt. Aren't you a bit protective?"

This brought a smile to Toro, and after a few minutes, he feel back to sleep.

"Why am I so worried though?" Derno muttered.

A few minutes passed and in walked you know who.

"Yo," Orikawa greeted and looked at one sleeping boy and another boy who was wide awake, "Isn't it a bit late for you to be up? Anyways, I just wanted to see if you two were still awake. I have some details that you may like to know about the competition."

Derno looked eagerly at Orikawa and inquired, "What is it?"

"Well, I don't know if I should be telling you this," Orikawa began and chuckled.

"Oh c'mon," Derno groaned and looked quite unhappy, "You started the conversation; now finish it!"

"If you insist," Orikawa agreed and began, "There are shinobi from the Sand, Sound, Leaf, etc. as you should know. First of all, while I tell you this information, you can not ask questions. Now, there will be two Sharingan users during the competition. Fortunately, our team is one of them. The other is from my Eternal Enemy, Kakashi. His name is Sasuke."

"SASUKE!" Derno yelled in disgust.

"I told you not to interrupt," Orikawa replied and began again, "There are also two Byakugan users. One is from another of my Eternal Enemy as well whose name is, Gai. This person is Hyuuga Neji who was last year's number one rookie. The other is Hyuuga Hinata. I want you to watch out for these people. They are not the only strong shinobis during the Exam, however, their bloodlines are deadly and should use caution."

Derno smiled and replied, "Who needs caution when I'm going to beat them all?"

Orikawa frowned and cautioned Derno, "If you do not use teamwork and necessary battle skills, you will definitely have no chance in becoming a Chuunin."

"Oh don't worry Orikawa," Derno replied, "There's no way that I'd forget all the lessons you taught me."

Orikawa smiled and commanded, "Now go to sleep. I know where Sierra is, and she's about to go to sleep in another room."

"Why?" Derno asked curiously.

Orikawa laughed and answered, "She said that you boys are noisy, and girls need to be away from pigs like you two."

"WHY THAT JERK!" Derno screamed.

"I told you to be quiet," Orikawa ordered, rubbing his ears.

"So this is it," Toro replied and looked up at the Academy of Konoha, "It's pretty big."

"Yeah, well, we're going to become Chuunins," Derno replied eagerly, "I haven't seen Sierra yet. Have you?"

"She'll come. She couldn't have anything more important than—" Toro replied but stopped, hearing footsteps behind him.

"You know what? You're absolutely right," Sierra replied behind him with a bag full of weapons, "Let's go. Room 301 isn't it?"

The team began walking up a flight of stairs to find several people crowded around a room labeled 301. A fight seemed to take place.

"We're not letting you get through," a shinobi replied who apparently was guarding the door.

A boy with large dark eyebrows and green-colored clothing began punching him. Unfortunately, to his dismay, there was no effect.

"Please let us through. We're here for the Exam!" a girl dressed in pink and buns in her hair asked politely.

"We are just thinning out those that will fail. What's wrong with that?" the guard asked, toying with the mass of people in front of him.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard behind Team B, "I agree, but you will let me pass through, and also, remove this surrounding created with genjutsu."

A huge splurge of whispering was heard, basically due to confusion.

"So you noticed?" the guard asked and raced towards Sasuke, "But all you did was see through it!"  
The guard gave a kick towards Sasuke who did the same thing. Suddenly, the same guy clothed in green sped in between the two to stop the match.

"He's fast," Toro commented to the group, "We should stay away from him."

Both Sierra and Derno nodded and watched the label turn back to 201.

"You noticed as well, didn't you Toro?" Sierra asked but knew the answer anyways.

"Well, I don't want to brag or anything," Toro replied and placed his hand behind his head, "I think we should go before something else happens."

Sierra and Derno followed behind Toro leading the way. With difficulty, they passed by the mob of Genins.

While passing they heard a conversation. A boy with long, dark hair and strange eyes asked the boy who stopped the fight, "What happened to the plan? You're the one who said we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

"Well…" the boy in green blushed and walked near Sakura, "My name is Rock Lee. Yours must be Sakura. Let's go out together. I'll protect you till I die!"

"What a strange introduction," Sierra muttered and ran up to Toro.


End file.
